Missiles fired at warship as U.S. risks being dragged into Yemen civil war

Cruise missiles have been fired at a US warship in the Red Sea as tensions rise over the civil war raging in Yemen. The surface-to-surface missiles were aimed at the USS Mason from a Houthi rebel-controlled region in Yemen. None of the weapons hit their target, as the destroyer, which was in international waters, used unspecified counter-measures to avoid them. The missile launches were the third in a week to target the USS Mason and other US warships.

The Mason once again appears to have come under attack in the Red Sea, again from coastal defence cruise missiles fired from the coast of Yemen

Admiral John Richardson

Earlier this week, a US warship fired Tomahawk missiles into Yemen to destroy three radar sites which military leaders believed played a role in the first two attacks on its ships. US officials think additional radars could have been used to bring about the attack on Saturday night. The Houthi rebels have denied conducting the attacks. The missile strikes are the most serious escalation yet of America’s involvement in a civil war that has killed more than 6,800 people, wounded more than 35,000 and displaced at least three million since a Saudi-led coalition launched military operations last year.

Middle East