Following the Houthis of Yemen, who are affiliated with Iran, targeting US destroyers in the Gulf of Aden and the bulk carrier Propel Fortune, American and French forces shot down scores of drones in the Red Sea on Saturday.
Since November, the Houthis have been assaulting ships in the Red Sea, claiming that their actions are part of a campaign of sympathy with Palestinians throughout the Gaza War.
The cargo ship and “a number of US war destroyers at the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with 37 drones” were the targets of the group’s strikes, according to military spokesperson Yahya Sarea in a televised statement on Saturday.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) earlier on Saturday reported that US Navy ships and planes shot down fifteen unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operated by the Houthis in the Red Sea region.
According to CENTCOM, in a statement on social networking platform X, the military was reacting to a massive strike the organization conducted into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden between 4 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. (1300-1530 GMT).
“An imminent threat to merchant vessels, US Navy, and coalition ships in the region” was the UAVs’ stated mission.
According to a French army statement, four combat drones that were heading toward naval vessels involved in the European Aspides mission in the area were also shot down by a French cruiser and fighter planes.
“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 other commercial vessels transiting in the area,” added the statement.
Along with warplanes at its bases in the United Arab Emirates and Djibouti, France maintains a warship in the region.
The Propel Fortune, flying the Singaporean flag, was the target of an attempted attack, as verified by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The bulk carrier was alleged to have been the target of two explosions reported by the shipping business, but all crew members were unharmed and the ship was moving on to its next port of call.
UKMTO released a statement saying, “Sources indicate that Propel Fortune was probably targeted because of out-of-date US ownership data.”
“Until the aggression stops and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted,” Sarea declared, the Houthis will not stop their attacks.
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