CNN –
A U.S. warship intercepting drones and missiles near the Yemeni coast on Thursday encountered a larger and more sustained barrage than previously known, shooting down four cruise missiles and 15 drones in 9 hours, according to a U.S. official familiar with the situation .
The USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer transiting south through the Suez Canal on Wednesday, intercepted the missiles and drones as they headed north along the Red Sea. Their trajectory left little doubt that the projectiles were aimed at Israel, the official said, a clearer assessment than the Pentagon’s initial assessment.
Sustained drone and rocket fire targeting Israel from well outside the Gaza conflict is one of several worrying signs that the war is threatening to escalate beyond the coastal enclave’s borders.
In addition to protests outside U.S. embassies in the Middle East, U.S. and coalition forces in Syria and Iraq have come under repeated attacks in recent days.
On Thursday, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the missiles were fired by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen and “may have been aimed at targets in Israel.” At the briefing, Ryder said three land-attack cruise missiles and “several” drones.
Some of the projectiles were traveling at altitudes that made them a potential threat to commercial aviation when they were intercepted, the U.S. official said. The drones and missiles were intercepted by SM-2 surface-to-air missiles fired from the USS Carney.
US interception of Houthi missile launches is extremely rare, making the timing of this incident all the more significant given the rising tensions in Israel. In October 2016, the USS Mason used countermeasures to stop an attempted attack in the Red Sea on the Navy destroyer and other nearby ships. In response, the US fired sea-launched cruise missiles at Houthi radars in Yemen.
According to US Central Command, disposable attack drones targeted two different US positions in Iraq on Wednesday. One of the attacks resulted in minor injuries. A day later, the At-Tanf garrison in Syria, home to US and coalition troops, was attacked by two drones, also causing minor injuries.
Early Friday morning in Iraq, two rockets targeted the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center near the airport, which houses U.S. military, diplomatic and civilian personnel, according to another U.S. defense official. One missile was intercepted by a counter-missile system while the second hit an empty storage building, the official said. No one was injured by the rocket attack.
The U.S. has not claimed responsibility for any recent attacks in Iraq and Syria, although Iranian proxies have carried out similar drone and missile attacks against U.S. forces in both countries in the past.
The U.S. military has carried out attacks on Iran-backed militias in response to previous such attacks against U.S. forces, but the Pentagon has declined to comment on its intentions.
“While I will not predict a possible response to these attacks, I will say that we will take all necessary measures to defend U.S. and coalition forces against any threat,” Ryder said. “If a response occurs, it will occur at a time and in a manner of our choosing.”