WASHINGTON – A US Navy destroyer shot down an Iranian-made drone fired from Yemen on Wednesday in the latest interception over Middle East waterways as the Pentagon seeks to rein in attacks by Iran-backed militias amid Israel's war in Gaza.
A US official speaking to Al-Monitor on the condition of anonymity confirmed that the USS Carney shot down the drone emanating from Houthi-controlled territory, but could not say what the suspected target was. The shoot-down was at least the third of its kind by the US Navy in recent weeks. It was first reported by the Associated Press.
The incident occurred around 11:00 a.m. local time in the south Red Sea, as the Carney was escorting a US Navy oiler ship and another US-flagged vessel carrying military equipment to the region, US Central Command confirmed Wednesday night.
The Iran-made drone was a KAS-04 model, which has previously appeared in Iraq and Syria and has been said by Israeli officials to have an extended range of some 1,700 kilometers.
