Washington, US

A US warship on Thursday (Dec 28) shot down a drone and an anti-ship ballistic projectile fired by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the US military said in a statement.

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"The USS Mason (DDG 87) shot down one drone and one anti-ship ballistic missile in the Southern Red Sea that were fired by the Huthis," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement, referring to a guided-missile destroyer.

"There was no damage to any of the 18 ships in the area or reported injuries," CENTCOM said, adding that it was the 22nd attempted attack on international shipping by the Huthis since mid-October.

The Houthi rebels have recently targeted vessels repeatedly in the Red Sea shipping lane amid the Israel-Hamas war in support of the Palestinians in the conflict-torn Gaza Strip.

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The attacks are threatening a transit route that carries up to 12 per cent of global trade, pushing the United States to deploy a multinational naval task force earlier this month to shield Red Sea shipping.

The Treasury Department, in addition to the US military action, announced sanctions against a network believed to be involved in financing the Houthi attacks on Thursday (Dec 28).

The Treasury in a statement said that it had imposed sanctions against the chief of the Currency Exchangers Association in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, along with three exchanges in Yemen and Turkey who were responsible for "facilitating the flow of Iranian financial assistance" to the Houthis.

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The Houthi rebels say that they are targeting Israel and Israeli-linked vessels to push for a halt to the offensive in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Spate of attacks

The Yemeni Houthis have launched a series of drone and projectile strikes targetting Israel-linked vessels after Israel started attacking Gaza following the Oct 7 incursion and killings by Hamas. 

Nearly 200 people were taken hostage in the attacks.  

Israel in retaliation launched a counter-offensive that, as per the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, has killed at least 21,000 people, mostly women and children.

The Houthi rebels have threatened to attack any vessels heading to Israeli ports unless food and medicine are allowed into the war-torn Gaza Strip.  

(With inputs from agencies)