A U.S. Navy ship near Yemen shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones on Thursday—though it’s unclear what the missiles were targeting, according to the Department of Defense.
This image provided by the U.S. Navy shows the USS Carney in the Mediterranean Sea on Oct. 23, 2018. ... [+]
Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a press conference Thursday there were no casualties from the incident and information is still being processed, so they cannot say for certain what the drones and missiles were targeting—though they were launched from Yemen heading north, potentially toward Israel.
Ryder said the missiles and drones were fired by Houthi militants in Yemen, a group backed by Iran.
The ship was in the Red Sea area to “help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East,” according to a U.S. Fleet Forces command post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Forbes has reached out to the Department of Defense for more information.
The missile interception occurred as concerns continue to rise that the war between Israel and Hamas could expand. Iran had previously warned it “cannot remain a spectator” in the war if attacks on Palestinian territories continue, and the missile interception came just days after a massive explosion at a hospital in Gaza killed hundreds. Palestinian authorities blamed Israel for the airstrike that caused the explosion, though Israel has denied involvement. The U.S. has also said its intelligence suggests Israel was not involved. The U.S. has continued to grow its armed forces presence in the Middle East, sending two strike groups to the eastern Mediterranean near Israel and reportedly preparing to deploy troops to support Israel if needed.
Though it’s unclear whether the missiles were specifically targeting the USS Carney, the interception does follow drone strikes on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria. Two officials told the Associated Press that a military base in Syria used to train U.S. troops in efforts against the Islamic State group was hit by drones Thursday. One caused minor injuries, the AP reported, and another drone was shot down.