Navy destroyer intercepts missiles fired from Yemen
October 19, 2023
A U.S. Navy destroyer intercepted several missiles launched from Yemen while operating in the region on Thursday, according to a Defense Department official.
It is not yet clear if the ship was the intended target, but no damage to the ship was reported, said the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss an incident that had not yet been announced.
The intercepts happened as U.S. bases in Syria have endured multiple drone attacks over the past two days. American forces stopped two separate drone strikes in Syria on Thursday, hours after they shot down three unmanned aerial systems targeting troops in Iraq early Wednesday, according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the incidents.
The Pentagon has 2,500 troops in Iraq supporting and training Iraqi forces, with another 900 more based in Syria who are working with the Syrian Democratic Forces.
The missile intercepts also come as the U.S. continues to bolster its military presence in the Middle East in response to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this summer sent ships carrying rapid response Marine units to the Persian Gulf, and those ships are now moving toward the eastern Mediterranean off the coast of Israel.
The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is already in the area, where it will soon by joined by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group.
The missiles also come as armed drones have attacked U.S. troops stationed in bases in Iraq and Syria.
CNN first reported the news of the destroyer incident.
Source: https://www.politico.com/
