Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen unsuccessfully targeted a Singaporean-owned container vessel with two anti-ship ballistic missiles as it transited the Red Sea, the U.S. military said.
The missiles were fired at the 63,000-ton Liberian-flagged Pinocchio on Monday morning but missed their target with no injuries or damage to the vessel, U.S. Central Command said in a news release.
CENTCOM later responded with six “self-defense” strikes against Houthi military assets, destroying an unmanned underwater drone and 18 anti-ship missiles in rebel-controlled areas of Yemen.
“It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region, CENTCOM said.