The UK Ministry of Defence said HMS Richmond, along with international allies, repelled an overnight attack by Houthi drones, adding that no one was injured. France also shot down four combat drones that were advancing towards the warships.
“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,” defence minister Grant Shapps said on X.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Office (UKMTO) also confirmed an attempted attack on the Singapore-flagged Propel Fortune vessel.
A French warship and fighter jets also shot down four combat drones that were moving towards warships that were part of the European Aspides mission in the region, the French army said in a statement.
“This defensive action directly contributed to the protection of the cargo ship True Confidence, under the Barbados flag, which was struck on March 6 and is being towed, as well as well as other commercial vessels transiting in the area,” it said.
Earlier, Yemeni Houthis attacked the bulk carrier Propel Fortune and US destroyers in the region in one of the largest attacks ever. CENTCOM said US military and coalition forces shot down at least 28 unmanned aerial vehicles over the Red Sea in the early hours of Saturday. Additionally, on Wednesday, three sailors were killed in a Houthi missile attack on the Greek ship True Confidence, the first civilian casualties since the group launched attacks on a key shipping route.
The Houthis have been targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November as part of a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians during Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Saree, for his part, stressed the Houthis would continue their attacks “until the aggression stops and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted.”
