Shot down drone, anti-ship missile fired by Houthi in Red Sea: US

The US on Friday, 29 December said that it has shot down a drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Houthi, media reports said.

The reports said that the Houthi allegedly repeatedly targeted vessels in the Red Sea shipping lane with strikes -- the U.S. -- said to be in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is battling Hamas.

"The USS Mason (DDG 87) shot down one drone and one anti-ship ballistic missile in the Southern Red Sea that were fired by the Houthi," media reports quoting the US Central Command (CENTCOM) as having said.

"There was no damage to any of the 18 ships in the area or reported injuries," CENTCOM said, adding that it was the 22nd attempted attack on international shipping by the Houthi since mid-October.

However, the Houthi said they are targeting Israel and Israeli-linked vessels to push for a stop to the offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The Israel-Hamas conflict began after Hamas carried out an attack on 7 October.