Dubai: An American warship and a number of industrial ships got here beneath assault on Sunday within the Crimson Sea, the Pentagon mentioned, doubtlessly marking a serious escalation in a sequence of maritime assaults within the Center East linked to the Israel-Hamas struggle.
“We’re conscious of stories concerning assaults on the USS Carney and industrial vessels within the Crimson Sea and can present data because it turns into obtainable,” the Pentagon mentioned on Sunday (native time).
The Carney is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
The British navy earlier mentioned there had been a suspected drone assault and explosions within the Crimson Sea, with out elaborating.
The Pentagon didn’t establish the place it believed the fireplace got here from. Nevertheless, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been launching a sequence of assaults on vessels within the Crimson Sea, in addition to launching drones and missiles concentrating on Israel because it wages struggle in opposition to Hamas within the Gaza Strip.
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A US official, talking on situation of anonymity to debate intelligence issues, mentioned the assault started about 10am in Sanaa, Yemen, and had gone on for as a lot as 5 hours. One other US official who equally spoke on situation of anonymity for a similar purpose mentioned the Carney had intercepted not less than one drone throughout the assault.
There was no fast remark from the Houthis. Nevertheless, a Houthi navy spokesman earlier mentioned an “necessary” assertion can be launched shortly.
International transport had more and more been focused because the Israel-Hamas struggle threatens to develop into a wider regional battle — whilst a truce briefly halted preventing and Hamas exchanged hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Nevertheless, the collapse of the truce and the resumption of punishing Israeli airstrikes and its floor offensive there had raised the danger of the seaborne assaults resuming.