The USS Thomas Hudner, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, shot down a drone launched from Yemen while operating in the Red Sea, according to a report on Wednesday.
The drone was heading toward the Hudner, which shot it down in self-defense, a US defense official told Fox News.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com.
The incident follows a wave of drone and missile attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria, launched by Iran’s proxy militias in retaliation for America’s support of Israel in its war against Hamas.
In Yemen, Iran backs and supplies the Houthis, a Shiite faction that has been at war against a Saudi-led Sunni coalition in the country since 2015.
Two Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighter jets fly alongside amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (background) and guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (foreground) in a file photo
The Houthis have emerged as a major military force in the Arabian Peninsula, with tens of thousands of fighters and a huge arsenal of ballistic missiles and armed drones.
Last month, another US warship intercepted four cruise missiles and 15 drones launched by the Houthi movement from Yemen towards Israel.
Yemen’s Houthi leader said on Tuesday his forces would continue its attacks on Israel, and that they could target Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Last week, the Houthis shot down a US military MQ-9 drone while it was in international airspace.
The US has sent a significant amount of naval power to the Middle East in the past month, including two aircraft carrier strike groups and thousands of US troops.
Developing story, more to follow.