The US Navy aircraft carrier George Washington was in the Pacific Ocean. US Central Command reported the participation of two US Navy destroyers in repelling a Houthi missile and drone attack in December 2023. The destroyers USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS O'Kane (DDG 77) escorted the American merchant ships. Central Command noted that the attacks did not cause casualties or damage.
The destroyers successfully destroyed the Houthis' unmanned aircraft systems and anti-ship missile. On a previous occasion, they also repelled an attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis. The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November 2023, especially in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, to thwart Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.
In response to Houthi attacks, the US launched Operation Prosperity Guardian in December 2023 to protect shipping in the region. In the attacks in March, two crew members were killed by a missile fired by the Houthis. For the first time since 1991, a UK destroyer shot down a Houthi missile in Yemen.
The Houthis continue to attack ships, including an oil tanker and a merchant ship, injuring one sailor and causing fires on board. In June, the crew abandoned the damaged Verbena, a Ukrainian-owned, Palau-flagged vessel operated by Poland.
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