WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. fighter aircraft shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired from Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward a U.S. destroyer operating in the Southern Red Sea, the U.S. military said on Sunday. The midair interception is the latest incident in the Red Sea where the Houthis have been attacking international shipping in what they say is a campaign to support Palestinians under seige from Israeli forces in Gaza. It follows a series of American and British airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen that have drawn threats of a "strong" response from the Iranian-backed militia. Earlier on Sunday, the Houthis complained that U.S. aircraft were observed flying close to Yemeni airspace and coastal areas. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam described the activity by "enemy" aircraft as a blatant violation of national sovereignty.

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Persons: CENTCOM, Mohammed Abdulsalam, Natalia Olivia, Chandni Shah, Raphael Satter, Kim Coghill, Neil Fullick Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, British, U.S . Central Command, Reuters, Hamas Locations: Yemen, U.S, Gaza, Yemen's, Hodeidah, Yemeni, Israel, Tehran, Akrotiri, Cyprus, Palestine, Bengaluru