The US, French and British forces have downed a total of at least 28 drones launched by Houthis in the Red Sea on Saturday night, the US military said.
Since November, Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in solidarity with Palestinians following Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Earlier, spokesperson of the Houthis in a televised broadcast said that they has targeted “a number of US war destroyers at the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with 37 drones”.
“No US or coalition Navy vessels were damaged in the attack and there were also no reports by commercial ships of damage,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
UK defence secretary Grant Shapps said the Royal Navy frigate HMS Richmond downed two drones launched by the Houthis on Friday night.
“The UK and our allies will continue to take the action necessary to save lives and protect freedom of navigation,” Shapps said.
A French warship and fighter jets have also shot down four drones to stop an attack targeting a European naval mission and a cargo ship being towed in the Gulf of Aden.
This week, at least three seafarers, two Filipinos and one Vietnamese were killed in a Houthi missile attack on a merchant ship — the first deaths since the Yemeni group began attacking ships in the world’s busiest sea lanes.
The recent wave of attacks have been one of the largest launched by the Houthis. This has resulted in vessels being diverted around southern Africa rather than using the Suez Canal between Europe and Asia, which has added to the costs and created a potential global economic risk.
A US-led naval coalition has been in the area since December 2023 trying to counter Houthi attacks. Forces from the coalition have also carried out strikes, but despite that the group that controls the most populous parts of Yemen has remained capable of launching significant attacks.
