Missiles Fired From YemenLand Near Warship USS Mason In Red Sea

Two missiles fired from Yemen landed near a US warship in the Red Sea, the US Navy has said. They were fired towards the USS Mason - a guided-missile destroyer - on Sunday from territory in Yemen under the control of Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. Ian McConnaughey, spokesman for US Navy Forces Central Command, said it was unclear if the vessel was specifically targeted, though the two missiles were fired in its direction over a period of an hour. No American sailors were injured and there was no damage to the USS Mason. The destroyer was positioned north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which serves as a gateway for oil tankers travelling to Europe through the Suez Canal.

USS Mason DDG-87 Last week, an Emirati-leased boat was seriously damaged when it came under rocket fire near the same area. The United Arab Emirates described the vessel as carrying humanitarian aid and having a crew of civilians, while the Houthis called the boat a warship. Sunday's attack came as a ballistic missile fired from Yemen apparently targeted a Saudi air base near Mecca, the deepest strike yet into the kingdom by the Houthi rebels. It also followed a strike on Saturday on a funeral in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, that killed more than 140 people and injured 525. Hundreds had gathered at the community hall to mourn the death of the father of rebel interior minister Jalal al Rowaishan. The Houthi rebels blamed the Saudi-led coalition, but it denied responsibility for the "regrettable and painful" attack and launched an investigation. The US, which has become increasingly vocal about civilian casualties in the civil war, said it was "deeply disturbed" and would review support for the coalition. US-Saudi ties are already strained over the kingdom's military intervention in Yemen. The United Nations and human rights groups estimate the conflict has killed at least 9,000 people and displaced nearly three million. Since March last year, the country has been the target of an air campaign launched by an Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia. It was requested by Yemen President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi's government, which is waging a war against the Houthi movement - which is aligned to Iran. The Houthis recognise former president Ali Abdullah Saleh as Yemen's legitimate leader.