NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Norfolk-based ships helped shoot down Iranian-backed Houthis attacks on merchant vessels Tuesday.
It was the 26th Houthi attack since Nov. 19.
On Jan. 9, around 9:15 p.m., Sanaa time, Iranian-backed Houthis launched an attack from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Southern Red Sea, toward international shipping lanes where dozens of merchant vessels were transiting, according to the U.S. Central Command.
Eighteen OWA UAVs, two anti-ship cruise missiles and an anti-ship ballistic missile were shot down by a combined effort of F/A-18s from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, USS Gravely, USS Laboon, USS Mason and the United Kingdom’s HMS Diamond. There were no injuries or damage reported.
On Jan. 3, 14 countries, including the U.S, issued a joint statement stating:
“The Houthis will bear the responsibility for the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, or the free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways.”
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