This Nov 12, 2018 photo shows The USS Carney in the Mediterranean Sea. (PHOTO / AP)

RIYADH - Three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters in the southern Red Sea, the US military said Sunday, as Yemen's Houthi group claimed drone and missile attacks on two Israeli vessels in the area.

The Carney, an American destroyer, responded to distress calls and provided assistance following missile and drone launches from Houthi-controlled territory, according to US Central Command.

The US military said the Carney, an American destroyer, shot down three drones as it helped the commercial vessels

Yemen's Houthi movement said its navy had attacked two Israeli ships, Unity Explorer and Number 9, with an armed drone and a naval missile. A spokesperson for the group's military said the two ships were targeted after they rejected warnings, without elaborating.

In a broadcast statement, the spokesperson said the attacks were in response to the demands of the Yemeni people and calls from Islamic nations to stand with the Palestinian people.

The US military said the Carney shot down three drones as it helped the commercial vessels. It was not clear if the warship was a target.

It said the attacks were a threat to international commerce.

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Multiple engagements

The Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier Unity Explorer is owned by Unity Explorer Ltd and managed by London-based Dao Shipping Ltd, LSEG data showed. The ship was scheduled to arrive in Singapore on Dec 15.

Number 9, which was headed to Suez port, is a Panama-flagged container ship owned by Number 9 Shipping Ltd and managed by Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK-based Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), the data showed.

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BSM said in a statement to Reuters Number 9 is currently sailing and there were no reports of injuries or pollution after the incident. The vessel was hit by a projectile while transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the company said.

Unity Explorer's owners and managers could not be reached immediately for comments.

According to US Central Command, the Unity Explorer suffered minor damage while the Number 9 also reported damage.

British maritime security company Ambrey and sources said earlier that a bulk carrier and a container ship had been hit by at least two drones while sailing in the Red Sea.

Ambrey said the container ship had reportedly suffered damage from a drone attack about 101 km northwest of the northern Yemeni port of Hodeidah.

Britain's Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said it had received reports of a drone attack in the Red Sea's Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Last week a US Navy warship responded to a distress call from an Israeli-managed commercial tanker in the Gulf of Aden after it had been seized by armed individuals.