(Reuters) - U.S. Navy ships and aircraft shot down 15 uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAVs) fired by Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea area early on Saturday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

       The military was responding to a large-scale attack by "Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists" launched into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden between 4 a.m. and 6:30 a.m (1300-1530 GMT), CENTCOM said in a post on X.

       The UAVs were determined to present "an imminent threat to merchant vessels, U.S. Navy, and coalition ships in the region," it said.

       (Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh; Editing by William Mallard)