Aden (Al-Ittihad Agencies)
American, French, and British forces shot down dozens of drones in the Red Sea region yesterday, after the Yemeni Houthi group targeted the bulk cargo carrier Propel Fortune and American destroyers in the region.
The US Central Command (Centcom) announced in a statement that the US army and coalition forces shot down 28 drones towards the Red Sea.
Centcom said in a statement on X: “Yesterday morning, the Houthis carried out a large-scale attack with marches in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, against American destroyers in the region,” adding that Central Command and the allied forces “saw that the aircraft represented an imminent threat to commercial and naval ships.” American and coalition ships in the region.
She continued, “These measures are being taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure.” In the same context, the French Ministry of Defense confirmed yesterday that a French frigate and fighters intercepted and shot down four drones launched from Houthi areas in Yemen yesterday morning in the Gulf of Aden.
This came within the framework of the European Aspides operation to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, and within the framework of self-defense, as the drones were heading towards a French frigate, according to a statement by the Ministry of Defense.
The British Ministry of Defense also announced that its warship “Richmond” joined international allies in repelling a drone attack launched by the Houthis, adding that there were no casualties or damage. British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said in a post on the “X” platform, “The frigate Richmond used its missiles to shoot down two attack drones and succeeded in repelling another illegal attack launched by the Houthis.”
Earlier yesterday, the US military said that it carried out a self-defense strike against two anti-ship missiles mounted on two trucks in areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen.
US Central Command said on “X”: “The Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from Yemen into the Gulf of Aden on the ship M/V Propel Fortune, which flies the Singapore flag and is owned and operated by a company from Singapore.” She added that no injuries or damage were reported, and that “these measures are being taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer for the US Navy and commercial ships.”
In this context, the British Maritime Trade Operations Authority also confirmed that the ship Propel Fortune, flying the Singapore flag, had been subjected to an attempted attack. She said that the shipping company reported two explosions near the bulk carrier, but all crew members are safe, and the tanker is heading to the next port of call.
The British authority said in a statement: “According to sources, Ruble Fortune was most likely targeted due to outdated US ownership data.”
Last Wednesday, a missile launched from Yemen hit a cargo tanker in the Gulf of Aden, killing at least three crew members, according to what was confirmed by the United States, which vowed to hold those responsible accountable for this attack.
In addition, the Yemeni government announced yesterday that the Houthi group was responsible for the damage to the submarine Internet cables, pointing out that the simultaneous targeting of Internet cables in the Red Sea, and the indiscriminate attacks launched by the group on commercial ships and tankers of oil and chemicals in international shipping lines in the Strait of… Bab al-Mandab and the Gulf of Aden, confirming its direct responsibility for these acts of sabotage.
Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar Al-Eryani said that the Houthi group recently targeted a number of submarine cables in the Red Sea directly and deliberately, as happened as a result of dropping the anchor of the ship M/V Rubymar after it was targeted by two missiles, which led to the damage of 4 out of 15 cables off the coast of Yemen. 25% of Internet and telephone services between Asia and Europe, as well as the Middle East, were affected.
Al-Eryani pointed out that the Houthis' responsibility for the damage to the submarine Internet cables is not limited to the direct or indirect targeting of those cables, but rather to their overall violations in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and the Gulf of Aden, which led to a rise in insurance and sea freight fees, and the lack of ships ready to conduct business. Regular maintenance of cables, or repair of damaged cables in the Red Sea, after marine insurance companies canceled their insurance on cable ships operating in Yemeni waters as a “war zone.”
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