US, French and Britain’s military unite to shoot down Houthi drones amid ongoing Israel-Hamas war
US, French and British forces shot down several drones in the Red Sea area on Friday, March 8, night and on Saturday, March 9, following Houthis attack.
In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated, “ US and Coalition Defeat Houthi Attack in Red Sea Area. Following further engagements through the morning, U.S. and Coalition forces downed a total of at least 28 uncrewed aerial vehicles between 4:00 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. (Sanaa time) on Mar. 9.”
The statement further mentioned that there were no US or Coalition Navy vessels that were damaged in the attack and there were also no reports by commercial ships of damage.
The US military in a statement said, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis targeted bulk carrier Propel Fortune and US destroyers in the region after which the military forces shot down dozens of drones in the area, reported Reuters.
The Houthis’ attack suggests a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians amid ongoing Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. These Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November and disrupting trade route and movement of cargo ships.
Houthi group’s military spokesman Yahya Sarea on March 9 informed that they had targeted the cargo vessel and “a number of US war destroyers at the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with 37 drones,” reported Reuters.
On March 9, CENTCOM informed that the military was responding to a large-scale attack on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden between 4 am and 6:30 am (as per GMT).
US Central Command in another post on X mentioned, “Between 4 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists conducted a large-scale uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) attack into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. ”
Moreover, CENTCOM mentioned that the UAVs were intended to present “an imminent threat to merchant vessels, U.S. Navy, and coalition ships in the region while claiming that actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure.”
A French army statement mentioned that a French warship and fighter jets shot down four combat drones that were moving towards naval vessels belonging to the European Aspides mission. The statement read, “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,” reported Reuters.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Ministry of Defence stated that its warship HMS Richmond had joined international allies in repelling a Houthi drone attack overnight and claimed that no injuries or damage were sustained.
Defence minister Grant Shapps in a post on X said, “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.”
Grant Shapps added, “The UK and our allies will continue to take the action necessary to save lives and protect freedom of navigation.”
Source » livemint.com
