The U.S. military reported on Sunday the destruction of two drones in areas controlled by Houthi rebels in Yemen, saying the aircraft posed a threat to ships in the area.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that its forces shot down one of the drones over the Red Sea and another was destroyed on the ground where it was preparing to launch.

Two drones were destroyed on Saturday.

“These operations are necessary to protect our forces, ensure freedom of navigation and make international waters safer for U.S., coalition forces and commercial vessels,” Central Command said.

UK Maritime Trade Operations did not report any threats to ships in the area at the time.

The Houthis have carried out numerous attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in recent months and say their actions are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during Israel’s war with Hamas.

The attacks have led many commercial shipping companies to reroute their ships away from the region, opting to use longer, more expensive routes around the continent.