OAN’s Abril Elfi
3:58 PM – Thursday, October 19, 2023
A United States Navy warship that has been operating in the Middle East blocked multiple missiles near the coast of Yemen.
On Thursday, officials stated that missiles were fired by Iranian-backed Houthi insurgents fighting in Yemen and that about 2-3 missiles were intercepted by the U.S. Navy ship.
Later that day, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. General Pat Ryder stated that the USS Carney intercepted three ground attack missiles and six drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
“This action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile defense architecture that we built in the Middle East and that we are prepared to utilize whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interest in this important region,” he said at a news briefing. “There were no casualties to US forces and none that we know of to any civilians on the ground.”
According to Ryder, the Pentagon cannot say for sure what the missiles and drones were targeting at this time, but they do know that they were fired from Yemen and were going north along the Red Sea, “potentially toward targets in Israel.”
The incident was one of several in recent days in which U.S. sites in Syria and Iraq were targeted by drones, amid rising regional tensions as Israel’s war with Hamas continued.
The drone attacks on the Syrian base resulted in “minor injuries,” according to Ryder.
Ryder stated that two drones targeted the al-Tanf garrison in Syria, where U.S. and anti-ISIS coalition soldiers are stationed.
One drone was engaged and destroyed, while another one crashed into the base, causing minor injuries to coalition personnel.
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