American warships stood off a massive Houthi drone attack in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on Saturday.
“Between 4 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists conducted a large-scale uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) attack into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” U.S. Central Command said in a news release.
“CENTCOM and coalition forces identified the one-way attack (OWA) UAVs and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels,” the statement said.
“U.S. Navy, and coalition ships in the region. U.S. Navy vessels and aircraft along with multiple coalition navy ships and aircraft shot down 15 OWA UAVs. These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure,” the release said.
US and Coalition Defeat Houthi Attack in Red Sea Area.
U.S. and Coalition forces downed a total of at least 28 uncrewed aerial vehicles.
Source: Centcompic.twitter.com/xEBAuPWj7a
— WORLD AT WAR (@World_At_War_6) March 9, 2024
A follow-up release noted that the attacks continued.
“Following further engagements through the morning, U.S. and Coalition forces downed a total of at least 28 uncrewed aerial vehicles between 4:00 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. (Sanaa time) on March 9. No U.S. or Coalition Navy vessels were damaged in the attack and there were also no reports by commercial ships of damage,” the release said.
A French warship and fighter jets shot down four drones, a French army statement said, according to Reuters.
Will the Red Sea conflict soon escalate?
“This defensive action directly contributed to the protection of the cargo ship True Confidence, under the Barbados flag, which was struck on March 6 and is being towed, as well as other commercial vessels transiting in the area,” the statement said.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense said the HMS Richmond also helped repel a Houthi drone attack overnight.
Major escalation in Red Sea as US coalition downed 28 Houthis drones targeting maritime movement. The largest attack by Yemen’s militants to date… Video from British armed forces of downing of drones today: pic.twitter.com/l9FiZB0urN
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) March 9, 2024
“Last night, HMS Richmond used its Sea Ceptor missiles to shoot down two attack drones – successfully repelling yet another illegal attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis,” Defense Minister Grant Shapps said.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech on Saturday they had targeted the cargo vessel and “a number of U.S. war destroyers at the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with 37 drones.”
Sarea said the Houthis would continue their attacks “until the aggression stops and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted.”
On Wednesday, the Houthi attack on the True Confidence killed three members of the crew, according to CBS.
🇬🇧🇾🇪BRITISH RUBYMAR SINKS AFTER HOUTHI ATTACK
The British freighter Rubymar, targeted by North Yemen’s Houthis on February 18, has completely sunk in the Red Sea.
— Kacee Allen (@kaceerallen) March 2, 2024
Last weekend, a British-owned ship that had been hit by the Houthis in February sank, damaging three undersea telecommunication cables after it went down.
