US Warship Downs Drone Amid Houthi Hijacking Attempt, Half of Gaza’s Population Crammed into Rafah

The US CENTCOM says that US destroyer Mason came under attack from Houthi militants in the Red Sea on December 12. The incident happened when USS Mason was responding to a distress call from the tanker Ardmore Encounter.Houthi forces initially tried to board the tanker Ardmore Encounter but failed and fired two missiles at the ship without hitting their target. While responding to the distress call, the Mason shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle also launched from Houthi-controlled areas.The UAV was heading directly towards the Mason and was shot down in self-defence, CENTCOM said in a post on X.