US downs drone off Yemen, strikes uncrewed surface vessel

American forces shot down a drone off Yemen on Thursday and later destroyed an explosives-laden uncrewed surface vessel that threatened ships in the Red Sea, the US military said.

The US also said Yemen's Huthi rebels launched two anti-ship missiles that were possibly aimed at a cargo ship in the Red Sea, but that the missiles did not hit the vessel.There has been a sharp uptick in Huthi military activity and US strikes and shootdowns in recent days, presenting further challenges for Washington as it prepares what it has promised will be a decisive response to the killing of three American soldiers in a drone attack in Jordan over the weekend.