Defense minister Grant Shapps said a British warship had shot down two Houthi attack drones, joining American and French forces in acting to protect shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
“Last night, HMS Richmond used its Sea Ceptor missiles to shoot down two attack drones - successfully repelling yet another illegal attack by the Iranian backed Houthis,” Shapps said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday.
“The UK and our allies will continue to take the action necessary to save lives and protect freedom of navigation.”
American and French forces also downed dozens of drones in the Red Sea on Saturday after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis targeted bulk carrier Propel Fortune and US destroyers in the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November in what they say is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians during the war in Gaza.
The group’s military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech on Saturday they targeted the cargo vessel and “a number of US war destroyers at the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with 37 drones.”
US Navy ships and aircraft shot down 15 uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) by the Houthis in the Red Sea area, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said earlier on Saturday.
The military was responding to a large-scale attack the group 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 social media platform X.
Britain defense minister says warship shot down two Houthi drones
2 years ago
