Ships in the Red Sea have come under another missile attack, as Houthi threats in the key shipping route continued despite UK and US strikes.
Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a 'red' missile on Friday toward a US warship patrolling the Gulf of Aden, forcing it to shoot down the projectile, officials said.
An anti-ship ballistic 'red' missile came near the USS Carney, an Arleigh-Burke class destroyer that has been involved in American operations to try and stop the Houthi campaign since November, the US military's Central Command said.
"The 'red' missile was successfully shot down by USS Carney," the statement said. "There were no injuries or damage reported."
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels did not immediately acknowledge the attack, though they typically take several hours to claim their assaults.The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which oversees Middle East waterways, earlier reported the attack as involving two red missiles. The UKMTO reported it happening 60 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's port city of Aden.
The American statement appeared to avoid accusing the Houthis of directly targeting the Carney - allegations Washington has been avoiding since the attacks began two months ago.
The Houthis have repeatedly launched attacks on ships in the Red Sea since November over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, though they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, endangering shipping on a key route for global trade.
Alongside numerous air strikes on key Houthi targets, the UK and US are also imposing sanctions on key figures in the Iran-backed militant group.
A second series of UK and US air strikes, carried out at the start of the week, appears to have done little to deter Houthi action.
A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said: "We continue to call on (the Houthis) to step back from such action. We're clear that this is illegal and unacceptable."
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron is currently finishing a trip to the Middle East, in a diplomatic bid to reduce tensions as the Israeli bombardment of Gaza continues.
