World News | Britain Says Royal Navy Ship Shot Down Attack Drone over Red Sea
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. A Royal Navy warship has shot down a suspected attack drone targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea, Britain's defence secretary said Saturday.
London, Dec 16 (AP) A Royal Navy warship has shot down a suspected attack drone targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea, Britain's defence secretary said Saturday.
Grant Shapps said that HMS Diamond fired a Sea Viper missile and destroyed a drone that was “targeting merchant shipping”. The overnight action is the first time the Royal Navy has shot down an aerial target in anger since the 1991 Gulf War.
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Shapps said attacks on commercial ships in the global trade artery by Yemen's Houthi rebels “represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security".
“The UK remains committed to repelling these attacks to protect the free flow of global trade,” he said in a statement.
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Global shipping has become a target during the war between Israel and Hamas, which like the Houthis is backed by Iran. The Houthis have launched a series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, as well as launching drones and missiles targeting Israel.
Earlier this month, three commercial ships in the Red Sea were struck by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen, and a US warship shot down three drones during the assault, the US military said.
On Friday Maersk, the world's biggest shipping company, told all its vessels planning to pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea to “pause their journey until further notice” after a missile attack on a Liberian-flagged cargo ship.
HMS Diamond was sent to the region two weeks ago as a deterrent, joining vessels from the US, France and other countries. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)