WASHINGTON: The Pentagon said that the US forces shot down a drone early Saturday over the Red Sea near several commercial ships.
In a statement via social media, the US Central Command said that “an unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down in self-defense” by the US forces. The statement maintained that no one was injured. The incident took place in the southern Red Sea “in the vicinity of multiple commercial ships,” it maintained.
According to Pentagon figures more than 100 drone and missile strikes have been launched in the Red Sea since the conflict erupted between Hamas and Israel on October 7.
Red Sea
Israel conducted airstrikes in southern Gaza on Saturday, escalating tensions in the region as the United Nations warned that the besieged Palestinian territory has become “uninhabitable” after three months of continuous bombardments. The conflict, which began on October 7, shows no signs of abating as it enters its fourth month.
The Gaza health ministry reported over 120 deaths in the past 24 hours due to renewed Israeli bombardment. The health system is grappling with severe shortages, with the majority of hospitals in the Palestinian territory rendered inoperable.
READ ALSO: Gaza Death Toll Surpasses 22,600: Ministry
The assaults on ships are endangering a transit route that carries up to around 12 percent of international trade, prompting the US to set up a multinational naval task force to secure Red Sea shipping.
