The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mason, responding to a distress call from the tanker Ardmore Encounter, which came under attack near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on Wednesday, shot down a drone that was fired from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
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The UK Maritime Trade Operations Office (UKMTO) said on December 13 that it had received reports of an incident in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait area, west of Yemen. The Associated Press later reported that two missiles, which were fired from Ansar Allah (Houthi)-controlled territory in Yemen, missed the merchant ship. The Marshall Islands-flagged oil and chemical tanker Ardmore Encounter, which was heading toward the Suez Canal in the Red Sea, was attacked.
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According to US Central Command, the USS Mason responded to a distress call from the tanker Ardmore Encounter, which was under attack by the Houthis. They first tried to board the vessel by approaching in motorboats, but when they failed, a pair of missiles were fired at the tanker from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, but missed their target.
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“Mason shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Houthi-controlled territory. The drone was heading directly towards him and was shot down in self-defense,” CENTCOM said in a statement on social media.
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As noted by the command, neither the tanker nor the destroyer was damaged. The crew members were also not injured.
