Missiles and drone aircraft are seen on display at an exhibition at an unidentified location in Yemen. Reuters

The United States military said on Thursday it had shot down 11 drones belonging to Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, after the group claimed it had targeted Israeli and American ships off the Gulf of Aden.

The US Central Command said on X, formerly Twitter, that its forces had shot down three drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas on Wednesday morning, and eight drones later the same day.

"It was determined the UAVs presented an imminent threat to US, coalition, and merchant vessels in the region," the statement said using the acronym for unmanned aerial vehicles.

The latest Houthi attacks targeted two Israeli ships as well as an American commercial vessel and a US warship, the Houthis said in a statement.

"The ships were targeted with a number of suitable naval missiles and drones," the statement said.

Houthi rebels have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November, leading to retaliatory strikes by the United States against Houthi targets in Yemen.

The rebels say their actions are in solidarity with Palestinians during Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Israel's main ally the United States formed a multinational coalition in December to protect maritime traffic, but has so far failed to prevent the attacks.

Agence France-Presse