The HMS Richmond fires missiles to shoot down Houthi drones heading toward the ship, on the Red Sea, March 9, 2024. LPhot Chris Sellars/UK Ministry Of Defence
In the course of recent developments, U.S., French, and British military forces successfully intercepted a substantial number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the Red Sea area. This action was taken in response to an attack initiated by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group, who targeted the bulk carrier Propel Fortune and U.S. destroyers in the region. The U.S. military reported that, according to the Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea, 37 drones were deployed to target the cargo vessel and a number of U.S. war destroyers in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that, during the early hours of Saturday, the U.S. military and coalition forces successfully neutralized at least 28 UAVs over the Red Sea. Importantly, no damage was incurred by U.S. or Coalition Navy vessels, and commercial ships reported no harm. CENTCOM emphasized that the UAVs posed an imminent threat to merchant vessels, U.S. Navy, and coalition ships in the region.
Simultaneously, a French warship and fighter jets intercepted and downed four combat drones advancing towards naval vessels associated with the European Aspides mission in the region. The French military clarified that this defensive action directly contributed to safeguarding the cargo ship True Confidence, under the Barbados flag, which had been struck on March 6 and was under tow, along with other commercial vessels transiting in the area.
The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence reported that its warship HMS Richmond participated in repelling a Houthi drone attack overnight, utilizing its Sea Ceptor missiles to successfully neutralize two attack drones. No injuries or damage were sustained during this operation. The UK and its allies are committed to taking necessary actions to ensure the safety of lives and protect freedom of navigation.
The context of these events includes a missile strike by the Houthis on the Greek-operated True Confidence on Wednesday, resulting in the tragic loss of three seafarers. This marked the first instance of civilian casualties since the Houthi group commenced its attacks on the key shipping route. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed an attempted attack on the Singapore-flagged Propel Fortune, reporting two explosions in close proximity to the bulk carrier. However, all crew members were reported safe, and the vessel proceeded to its next port of call.
UKMTO suggested that Propel Fortune may have been targeted due to outdated U.S. ownership data. In response to these events, the Houthi spokesman reiterated their intent to continue the attacks until the perceived aggression ceases and the blockade on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted.
COMMENTS