Yemen's Houthi rebels fired dozens of missiles and drones into the Red Sea shipping lanes, one of the group's largest attacks to date. The Pentagon called the attack an operation but claimed to have repelled the attack.
The U.S. Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, announced the attempted attack on Tuesday, saying it fired several anti-ship missiles and drones.
Eighteen one-way attack drones, two cruise missiles and one ballistic missile were shot down by U.S. F-18 fighter jets and a number of U.S. and British missiles stationed in the area, the command continued.
According to the U.S. command, the missile and drone strikes mark the 26th Houthi attack on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea since November 19. In the wake of Israel's attack on Gaza, the armed group, which controls large swathes of Yemen, has vowed to step up its operations. Israel's attack on Gaza was a response to the deadly terrorist attacks in Hamas late last year.
In November last year, the Houthis announced that all ships would be blocked following Israel's retaliatory strike on Gaza, and later information revealed that militants had captured a vessel allegedly linked to Israel. Subsequent reports revealed that the ship was operated by a Japanese company, flagged under the Bahamas, and carried an international crew, but partial ownership belonged.
CNN, citing U.S. sources, confirmed that three U.S. destroyers helped destroy Houthi missiles on Tuesday, but the total number of missiles shot down was 24. It was unclear whether the two missiles were launched at the same time or from the same location, but one person, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said more details would be announced as they became available.
The Houthis have not commented on the recent attacks in an official statement, but an unnamed military member of the group told Al Jazeera that its forces did not elaborate.
The Red Sea is the region's main hub for the transportation of petroleum products, with nearly 10% of global oil** and about $1 trillion of cargo passing through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait each year.