US Central Command (Centcom) said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that on Saturday morning the Houthis launched two drones towards the Red Sea, a commercially vital seaway that the Iranian-backed rebels have targeted dozens of times in the past four months.

Centcom forces “successfully engaged and destroyed one” drone while the other is presumed to have crashed into the Red Sea, the statement said, adding that there were no reports of damage or injuries from ships in the area.

The statement came after the Houthis had earlier claimed a drone attack on a US destroyer in the Red Sea, adding that the strike “achieved its goals.”

Later Saturday night, Centcom “destroyed five unmanned surface vessels and one” drone in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in “self-defense,” the statement continued.

The flurry of Houthi attacks, including a deadly assault on a bulk carrier last week and the sinking of a ship carrying thousands of tonnes of fertiliser, have triggered reprisal strikes by US and British forces.

Such exchanges have become a frequent occurrence in the area, sending shipping insurance costs soaring and prompting many firms to detour around the southern tip of Africa.

The Houthis say they are targeting Israel-linked shipping as part of an “axis of resistance” of Iran allies and proxies, in protest at Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.