US Central Command has announced that an American destroyer downed two anti-ship ballistic missiles launched from Yemen Saturday, after responding to a distress call from yet another container ship which was struck separately.

Centcom reported that following a call for assistance from the Maersk Hangzhou, a Dutch owned and operated container ship flagged out of Singapore, which reported it had been hit by a missile while sailing through the Red Sea, two US destroyers, the Gravely and the Laboon responded to the scene.

As they were responding, Centcom said that two missiles were launched towards the ships from a region controlled by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

Centcom said the Gravely took down the missiles, which were characterized as the “23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping” since November 19th.

According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization, there was a report of an incident which occurred in the Red Sea roughly 55 nautical miles south-west of the Hodeidah port in Yemen. According to the report the Captain of the unidentified ship noted “a loud bang accompanied by a flash on the port bow of the vessel,” as well as a number of explosions in the area. There was no damage reported, and all crew were accounted for and safe. The vessel was said to have exited the area at full power, heading to its next port of call.

Vessels in the Red Sea have come under repeated attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels operating out of Yemen, in strikes which the Houthi claim to be waging in support of the Palestinians of Gaza, which are presently dealing with Israeli operations targeting the militant group Hamas over the terrorist attacks of October 7th. The rebels have claimed they are only targeting ships which have some connection to Israel, or which are heading to or coming from Israeli ports.

In response to the attacks, several shipping lines have ceased shipping through the Red Sea, instead rerouting their ships around the southern tip of Africa on their way from Asia and the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and Europe.

The US has organized a multinational taskforce of Naval assets which are tasked with protecting ships utilizing the Red Sea transit route, which is used to deliver 12% of all global trade, and up to 30% of all container traffic through the Suez Canal.