The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer in the Red Sea, encountered multiple missiles launched by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on Thursday and fired its own missiles in response, officials said.

It’s unclear from where the Houthi militia's missiles were fired but they were headed in a northerly direction, an official said.

The USS Carney intercepted three cruise missiles and about eight drones, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said later at a press briefing.

The preliminary U.S. assessment is that the USS Carney was not the target of any of the Houthi missiles or drones.

Information about the engagements was still being processed, Ryder said. "We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting but they were launched from Yemen heading north along the Red Sea potentially to targets in Israel.

No sailors aboard the ship were harmed, the official said.

The incident occurred during the early evening hours Thursday local time.

The missiles fired by the Houthis were engaged by SM2 missiles carried aboard the USS Carney, an official said.