The French navy shot down two drones over the Red Sea where Yemen’s Houthi rebels were attacking ships, the defense ministry said in Paris on Tuesday.
The navy, which has two frigates deployed in the area, detected “multiple drone attacks originating from Yemen” overnight from Monday to Tuesday, before destroying the two drones, the ministry said.
The attack came a day after the European Union formally launched a naval mission to protect ships in the Red Sea against the Iran-backed Houthis, who control much of war-torn Yemen.
Rebels have threatened the vital shipping lane since November in a campaign they say is a sign of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the war between Israel and Hamas.
