US, French, and British military forces intercepted numerous drones in the Red Sea area overnight and on Saturday after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis targeted the bulk carrier Propel Fortune and US destroyers, according to Reuters citing a statement from the US military.
The Houthis have been conducting attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November, citing solidarity with Palestinians during Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
According to Reuters report, in a televised speech on Saturday, the group's military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, revealed that they had used 37 drones to target the cargo vessel and "a number of US war destroyers at the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden".
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that US and coalition forces downed at least 28 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the Red Sea in the early hours of Saturday. CENTCOM stated, "No US or Coalition Navy vessels were damaged in the attack, and there were no reports of damage by commercial ships," as reported by Reuters.
CENTCOM announced on Saturday 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 (0100-0330 GMT).
The UAVs posed "an imminent threat to merchant vessels, U.S. Navy, and coalition ships in the region," according to a post on social media platform X.
A French warship and fighter jets intercepted and destroyed four combat drones advancing towards naval vessels of the European Aspides mission, stated a French army release. This defensive action contributed to protecting the cargo ship True Confidence and other commercial vessels in the area.
France maintains a warship in the region, along with warplanes stationed in Djibouti and the United Arab Emirates.
Drone Attack:
The UK Ministry of Defence reported that its warship HMS Richmond participated in repelling a Houthi drone attack overnight. According to the Reuters report, Defence Minister Grant Shapps stated, "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".
Three seafarers were killed on Wednesday in a missile strike by the Houthis on the Greek-operated True Confidence, marking the first civilian casualties since the group initiated attacks on the key shipping route.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed an attempted attack on the Singapore-flagged Propel Fortune. The shipping company reported two explosions in the close vicinity of the bulk carrier, with all crew on board safe, and the vessel proceeding to its next port of call.
"Based on sources, Propel Fortune was likely targeted due to outdated US ownership data," said UKMTO in a statement. Yahya Sarea reiterated the Houthis' intention to continue their attacks "until the aggression stops and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted."