RIYADH: Houthi forces fired one anti-ship ballistic missile and four drones in their latest attack on ships transiting the waterway off Yemen, but all were destroyed, the US military said on Thursday.

In a post on X, the US Central Command said the missile and drones were launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Gulf of Aden between 2 a.m. and 4:50 p.m. (Sanaa time) on March 13, 2024.

Fortunately the attacks “did not impact any vessels and there were no injuries or damage reported,” the CENTCOM said, adding that US naval forces in the area “successfully engaged and destroyed” the Houthi weapons.

“These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy and merchant vessels,” the post said.

On Wednesday, US and British forces carried out airstrikes on Houthi positions in the western Yemen city of Hodeidah, a day after the Iran-backed militia launched missile and drone attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

An earlier CENTCOM post said the Houthis fired a close-range ballistic missile at the US naval destroyer Laboon, but it did not strike the ship or cause any damage.

The US and UK, supported by other nations, had also launched dozens of attacks on military targets in Sanaa, Saada, Taiz, and other Houthi-controlled territories, hitting missile and drone launchers and depots, radar sites, and other military infrastructure.

The attacks, however, has not stopped the Houthis, whose leaders had promised to continue attacking ships suspected of transporting goods to Israel.

The Houthis have expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people amid an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, which was triggered by the massive Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.