#US, UK shoot down 15 drones launched from Yemen over Red Sea

The United States and the United Kingdom shot down 15 drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen early Saturday morning that were targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea.

U.S. Central Command said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, that the USS Carney “successfully engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems launched as a drone wave from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen” early Saturday morning. It said that it suspected the drones were “one-way attack drones,” adding that no ships were damaged in the Red Sea and no injuries were reported.

U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said on X that the HMS Diamond “shot down a suspected attack drone targeting merchant shipping in the Red Sea” with a Sea Viper missile. He said the Royal Navy ship had recently arrived in the Red Sea “to bolster international efforts to maintain maritime security.”

“The recent spate of illegal attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security in the Red Sea. The UK remains committed to repelling these attacks to protect the free flow of global trade,” Shapps said.

Attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea have escalated in the months since the war between Israel and militant group Hamas broke out. The Houthi rebels and Hamas are both backed by Iran.

Last week, Danish shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk announced it would be pausing its container shipments through the Red Sea until further notice due to recent attacks on shipping vessels in the sea.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdel-Salam said Saturday that the rebels have been involved in “communications and discussions” with international parties about the recent attacks, The Associated Press reported.

He said that the rebels will continue to target vessels linked with Israel “until the aggression stops,” the AP reported. He said that “any genuine steps responding to the humanitarian situation in Palestine and Gaza through bringing in food and medicine would contribute to reducing the escalation.”

The Associated Press contributed.