Two Destroyers Defend U.S. Merchant Ships From Houthi Missile Barrage

Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, two U.S. Navy destroyers shot down half a dozen Houthi-launched munitions while escorting U.S.-flagged merchant ships through the Gulf of Aden. The successful transit illustrates the service's defensive capabilities, but also shows the Houthis' continued ability to target passing shipping at will - despite multiple rounds of U.S. airstrikes on the group's bases in Yemen.  

According to U.S. Central Command, destroyers USS Stockdale and USS O'Kane were escorting three U.S. merchant ships through the Gulf of Aden on Saturday when they came under fire. The destroyers shot down three anti-ship ballistic missiles, three attack drones and one anti-ship cruise missile over the course of two days. 

"These actions reflect the ongoing commitment of [Central Command] forces to protect U.S. personnel, regional partners and international shipping against attacks by Iran-backed Houthis," CENTCOM said in a statement. 

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree identified the target vessels as the product tanker Stena Impeccable, the boxship Maersk Saratoga and the bulker Liberty Grace. As of Monday morning, all three vessels were in port at Djibouti, where the U.S. maintains a military base. 

"The strikes were accurate and direct," said Saree. "The [Houthis] will continue to carry out their military operations at an escalating pace . . . [and] will not stop except by stopping the aggression and lifting the siege on the Gaza Strip."