U.S. navy shoots down anti-ship missile fired from Yemen: Central Command

SANAA, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. navy airforce shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired by the Houthis in Yemen toward a navy battleship, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement on early Monday morning.

The missile, which was fired at approximately 4:45 p.m. (1345 GMT) on Sunday toward a destroyer of the U.S. navy operating in the southern Red Sea, was intercepted in the vicinity of the coast of Hodeidah by U.S. fighter aircraft, said the central command, adding that no injuries or damage were reported.

Nearly at the same time on Sunday, the Houthis claimed that a warplane of the U.S.-Britain maritime coalition hit a camp of the group in northern Hodeidah port city. But U.S. officials reportedly denied the allegation.

The Houthis have escalated their attacks in the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas conflict flared up on Oct. 7. They said the attacks targeted Israel-linked commercial ships in a bid to pressure Israel to end the conflict and siege of the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip.

The Iran-backed Houthi group seized much of the country's north, forcing the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces out of the capital Sanaa and the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.