US forces in the Middle East are facing increasing threats after a Navy warship shot down missiles appearing to head toward Israel on Thursday.

American bases in Iraq and Syria have also repeatedly been targeted by drone attacks and on Thursday a US official said there had been an attack near Baghdad’s airport, where US forces are hosted.

The official said one projectile was shot down and another struck, but according to early reports no one was injured. It was not clear what type of munition was fired.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said information was still being gathered.

Pentagon Ryder
Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon (Andrew Harnik, AP)

The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer in the northern Red Sea, intercepted three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Houthi forces in Yemen.

The action potentially represented the first shots by the US military in the defence of Israel in this conflict.

Pentagon press secretary Brig Gen Patrick Ryder told reporters the missiles were “potentially” headed toward Israel but said the US has not finished its assessment of what they were targeting.

A US official said they do not believe the missiles — which were shot down over the water — were aimed at the warship.

An array of other drone attacks over the past three days did target US bases, including one in southern Syria on Thursday that caused minor injuries.

The attacks in the wake of a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital, triggering protests in a number of Muslim nations.

The Israeli military has relentlessly attacked Gaza in retaliation for the devastating Hamas rampage in southern Israel almost two weeks ago, but Israel has denied responsibility for the al-Ahli hospital blast and the US has said its intelligence assessment found that Tel Aviv was not to blame.

In recent days, a number of militant groups across the region — from Hezbollah to the Houthis — have expressed support for the Palestinians and threatened Israel.

Since Tuesday, militants have launched at least four drone attacks on US military installations in Iraq and Syria where US troops train local defence forces and support the mission to counter the Islamic State group.

The attacks fuel escalating worries in the US and the West that the war in Israel could expand into a larger regional conflict.

“That’s exactly what we are trying to prevent,” Mr Ryder said.

The most recent drone attack was Thursday at al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq posted a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, saying they had fired a salvo of rockets at the base and “they hit their targets directly and precisely.”

A US official confirmed the latest attack but said it was too early to assess any impact.

The al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria was struck by drones on Thursday. US troops have maintained a presence at the base for a number of years to train Syrian allies and monitor Islamic State militant activity.

The Pentagon said one drone was shot down, but another hit the base and caused minor injuries.