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), “Yesterday, Saturday, HMS Diamond once again shot down a Houthi attack drone that was illegally targeting the ship,” noting that there were no injuries or damage to the destroyer.
The ministry stressed that these attacks are “totally 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 absolutely firm.”
For two months, Yemeni rebels in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea have been carrying out attacks on commercial ships suspected of being 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, US 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 who they believe were involved in preparing these attacks.
Yesterday morning, Saturday, US forces launched strikes targeting a Houthi site in Yemen after the rebels attacked a British oil tanker that “caught fire” in the Gulf of Aden.
For their part, the Houthis announced on Friday that they had targeted a British oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden, as part of their response to the American and British strikes on their sites and in support of the Gaza Strip.