US and French forces shot down dozens of drones in the Red Sea today after pro-Iranian Yemeni Houthis targeted the bulk carrier Propel Fortune and US destroyers in the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November in what they say is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians during Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
The group’s military spokesman, Jahya Sarre, said in a televised speech on Saturday that they targeted a cargo ship and “a number of US warships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with 37 drones”.
US Navy ships and aircraft shot down 15 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the Red Sea area, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said earlier Saturday.
The military was responding to a large-scale attack carried out by the group in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden between 04:00 am and 06:30 am, CENTCOM said in a post on the X social media platform.
The drones posed an “imminent threat to merchant ships, US Navy and coalition ships in the region,” it said.
A French warship and fighter jets also shot down four combat drones that were advancing towards ships belonging to the European Aspides mission in the region, the French military said in a statement.
