The US military said its forces shot down a cruise missile fired at an American destroyer warship from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, AFP reports.

The attack appears to be the first against a US destroyer amid a growing number of missile and drone strikes or attempted strikes by the Houthis, on what they deem Israeli-linked shipping on the key Red Sea trade route.

“On January 14 at approximately 4:45pm (Sanaa time) an anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Huthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon (DDG 58), which was operating in the Southern Red Sea,” the United States Central Command said in a statement.

“The missile was shot down in vicinity of the coast of Hodeida by US fighter aircraft,” according to Centcom.

“There were no injuries or damage reported,” Centcom said.