2024-01-28T16:22:32+00:00
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/ The British Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that it had thwarted a Houthi attack targeting its destroyer “HMS Diamond” in the Red Sea.
The ministry said in a statement on the “X” platform (formerly Twitter), that “yesterday, Saturday, HMS Diamond once again shot down a Houthi attack drone that was illegally targeting the ship,” noting that there were no casualties or damage to the destroyer.
The Ministry stressed that these attacks are “completely unacceptable and it is our duty to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.”
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps stressed that the United Kingdom “remains determined” to confront these attacks launched by the “Iranian-backed” Houthis, stressing that “our commitment to protecting innocent lives and freedom of navigation is firmly established.”
For two months, Yemeni rebels in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea have been carrying out attacks on commercial ships they suspect are linked to Israel or heading to its ports, in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been witnessing a war between Hamas and Israel since October 7, 2023.
In an attempt to deter the Houthis and protect navigation in the strategic region through which 12% of global trade passes, American and British forces launched a series of strikes on their military sites in Yemen.
Last Thursday, London and Washington announced the imposition of sanctions on four Houthi officials in Yemen, which they consider to be involved in preparing these attacks.
At dawn on Saturday, US forces launched strikes targeting a Houthi site in Yemen after the rebels attacked a British oil ship that “caught fire” in the Gulf of Aden.
For their part, the Houthis announced on Friday that they had targeted a British oil ship in the Gulf of Aden, as part of a response to the American and British strikes on their sites and in support of the Gaza Strip.