LONDON — A U.S. warship shot down 14 suspected attack drones over the Red Sea on Saturday, and a Royal Navy destroyer downed another drone that was targeting commercial ships, the British and American militaries said.

Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched a series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, and have launched drones and missiles targeting Israel, as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to spread.

U.S. Central Command said the destroyer USS Carney “successfully engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems” launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

The drones “were shot down with no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries,” Central Command tweeted.

U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said the HMS Diamond destroyed a drone that was “targeting merchant shipping.”

The overnight action is the first time the Royal Navy has shot down an aerial target in anger since the 1991 Gulf War.

Shapps said attacks on commercial ships by Yemen’s Houthi rebels “represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security.”

HMS Diamond was sent to the region two weeks ago.

Global shipping has become a target during the war between Israel and Hamas, which, like the Houthis, is backed by Iran.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdel-Salam said Saturday that the rebels have engaged in “communications and discussions” with international parties, brokered by Oman.

He tweeted that the Houthis would continue targeting Israel-linked vessels “until the aggression stops” and the siege of Gaza is lifted.