2nd LD Writethru: U.S. warplane shoots down Iranian drone in Arabian Sea

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. warplane shot down an Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea, the U.S. Central Command said Tuesday.

"USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) was transiting the Arabian Sea approximately 500 miles from Iran's southern coast when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone unnecessarily maneuvered toward the ship," the command said in a statement.

A U.S. F-35C warplane shot down the drone, which "aggressively approached" the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln with "unclear intent," the command said.

No U.S. troops were injured and no equipment was damaged, the command said, adding that the action was taken "in self-defense."

The Iranian side has so far made no comment on the incident. Enditem