Reports surfaced Sunday, December 3, that there was an assault on a warship belonging to the US and some other commercial boats in the Red Sea.
This new discovery may signal the beginning of a string of devastating maritime attacks in the Middle East that are connected to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Assaults on USS Carney, Other Commercial Boats
A Pentagon spokesperson informed Fox News that they are aware of reports about assaults on the USS Carney and commercial boats in the Red Sea. They promised to share more information when it becomes available. The story of the attacks broke originally on AP News.
The USS Carney, a guided-missile destroyer of the Arleigh Burke class, has been engaged in a recent campaign of shooting down drones and cruise missiles fired by the Houthi rebels, an organization supported by Iran, who have claimed blame for Sunday's strike. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) is anticipated to provide an update soon.
US military official confirmed to Fox News that the USS Carney fired down two Houthi drones over the Red Sea on Sunday. "Houthi missiles struck some commercial ships in the Red Sea. The Carney has been lending assistance and shot down at least two UAVs headed in its direction."
Without providing any more details, the British military had previously said that explosions and what they believed to be a drone strike had occurred in the Red Sea.
Prior to this, the Pentagon did not say where it thought the fire originated. However, according to Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the strikes occurred in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. He said that a missile damaged one vessel, and a drone attacked the other. Before the strike, he said, the ships had reportedly disregarded warnings from Houthi authorities.
Saree failed to indicate that any US vessel was being involved in the assault, though, said AP News.
Unity Explorer, a Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier owned by a British corporation that contains Dan David Ungar, an Israeli citizen and an executive of the firm, was reportedly the first vessel assaulted. The second was Number 9, a container ship associated with Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement that carried the flag of Panama.
Attacks in Sanaa, Yemen, started at about 10:00 AM local time and continued for up to five hours, according to an anonymous US official who spoke to the AP News on intelligence issues. The Houthis did not immediately respond. An "important" statement, said a Houthi military official, is expected to be issued soon.
Increasing Attacks on US Forces
Ahead of news of an assault on a US warship in the Red Sea, Leon Panetta, a former Obama administration CIA director and defense secretary, addressed the growing number of attacks by Iranian proxy groups against US forces in the Middle East on Saturday, December 2.
At least 75 attacks have targeted US soldiers in the Middle East since mid-month. This figure does not include assaults against US vessels at sea, as per the Pentagon.
