A British warship on Friday night shot down a suspected attack drone that was allegedly targeting merchant ships in the Red Sea, UK Defense Minister Grant Shapps announced.
“The recent wave of illegal attacks represents a direct threat to international trade and maritime security in the Red Sea,” said the British official on the X social network.
The episode occurred at a time when tensions are rising in the Red Sea, where Houthi rebels, close to Hamas, threaten maritime traffic.
During the new alleged attack, “a Sea Viper missile was fired and destroyed the device,” said the British Defense Minister.
The Houthis have warned that they will attack ships sailing off the coast of Yemen that have links to Israel, in response to the war between Hamas and Israel.
In recent weeks, several missiles and drones have been shot down by American and French warships patrolling the area.
The United Kingdom announced at the end of November the deployment of the destroyer HMS Diamond to the Gulf to respond to “growing concerns” about the security of maritime trade routes in the area.
Danish shipping giant Maersk on Friday ordered its ships to stop passing through the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait “until further notice” following fresh attacks.
German shipowner Hapag-Lloyd also announced on Friday that it would suspend container ship crossings in the Red Sea until at least Monday, following the attack on one of the ships by the Houthis.
This political-military movement, which controls a large part of Yemen, belongs, like the Palestinian Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah, to what they call the “axis of resistance” against Israel, supported by Iran.
Source: TSF
