US warships and bases attacked in the Middle East

US destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (Photo: Getty).

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner shot down "multiple attack drones (UAVs)" launched from areas controlled by Houthi forces in Yemen on the morning of November 23 local time.

CENTCOM said the drones were shot down while the US warship was patrolling in the Red Sea. CENTCOM confirmed there was no damage to the warship or injuries to the crew.

Previously, the guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner also shot down a UAV launched from Yemen over the Red Sea on November 15.

Last month, another US warship intercepted four cruise missiles and 15 drones launched by the Houthis from Yemen toward Israel.

Location of the Red Sea (Photo: Sputnik).

The Houthis recently warned that Israeli ships in the area and other Yemeni territorial waters could be targeted.

The Houthis, a pro-Iran force, have emerged as a major military force in the Arabian Peninsula, with tens of thousands of fighters and a huge arsenal of ballistic missiles and armed drones.

The Houthis are part of the “axis of resistance,” a group of anti-Israeli forces in the Middle East. They are opposed to the government in Yemen and have controlled the Yemeni capital Sanaa since 2014.

The group has claimed responsibility for numerous drone and missile attacks on Israel amid its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The US has deployed a significant naval force to the Middle East over the past month, including two aircraft carriers, support ships and thousands of troops.

Since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out, the US has carried out airstrikes against Iran-aligned militias in Syria and Iraq in response to a series of attacks on US troops in the two Middle Eastern countries.

In the latest development, fighters from the Iraqi Islamic Resistance Front attacked a US military base near Erbil international airport in Iraq's Kurdistan region on November 22.

The Iraqi militant group said the attack was in response to “crimes committed by (Israel) against the (Palestinian) people in the Gaza Strip” with US support. It said a drone was launched towards the base and reportedly hit its target.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden warned that the US was ready to conduct new attacks, if necessary, against groups that Washington believes are backed by Iran and behind attacks on US troops in the Middle East.

The US military is taking new measures to protect its forces in the Middle East amid a surge in attacks by suspected Iran-backed groups.

Those measures include increasing U.S. military patrols, restricting access to base facilities and stepping up intelligence gathering, including through drones and other surveillance operations, officials said.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/tau-chien-can-cu-my-bi-tan-cong-don-dap-o-trung-dong-20231123150643436.htm