The missile came from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen, US officials said.
January 15, 2024, 2:44 a.m. ET
• 3 min reading
A US warplane shot down a missile fired from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen at an American warship, US military officials said.
The USS Laboon was fired upon in the southern Red Sea around 4:45 p.m. on Sunday, US Central Command said on social media.
“The missile was launched near the coast of Hudaydah by US warplanes,” officials said. “No injuries or damage were reported.”
In this U.S. Department of Defense file, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon approaches the oil ship USNS Kanawha on the horizon for a sea replenishment mission in the Red Sea, Dec. 25, 2023. Elexia Morelos/US Department of Defense/AFP via Getty Images
Sunday's rocket launch appeared to be the first such attack by Houthi militants since American and British forces launched a series of large-scale retaliatory air strikes against several Houthi targets in Yemen.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed militant group, have been attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea, a gateway to the Suez Canal, one of the world's busiest shipping routes, for weeks.
There have been at least 27 attacks on international merchant shipping, President Joe Biden said on Friday.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, two of the world's largest shipping companies, have diverted container ships from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and instead sent them on the longer journey around the Cape of Good Hope.
More than 2,000 commercial ships have been rerouted to avoid the Red Sea, Biden said.
In this U.S. Department of Defense file image, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon transits the Suez Canal on Dec. 18, 2023. Elexia Morelos/US Department of Defense/AFP via Getty Images
The retaliatory strikes by the US and UK were a “defensive measure” after the attacks on merchant ships, Biden said in a statement released on Thursday.
“I will not hesitate to take further action if necessary to protect our people and free international trade,” he said.
ABC News' Luis Martinez and Nathan Luna contributed to this story.