US announces the downing of drones over the Red Sea while a ship reports a new incident southwest of Yemen

 

Yemen Monitor/ Newsroom

The British Maritime Trade Operations agency said on Thursday that a captain reported hearing a loud noise and a splash in the water, with smoke rising from the sea, 15 nautical miles southwest of Aden in Yemen. Meanwhile, the US Navy announced the downing of four drones belonging to the Houthis above the Red Sea.

The British agency added that “the captain says the crew and ship are safe, and assistance is being provided by military authorities.” The British Maritime Trade Operations agency did not provide further details.

This comes after the United States announced earlier on Thursday that it had downed an anti-ship missile and four drones launched by the Houthis off the coasts of Yemen.

The Hellenic National Defense General Staff said in a statement that a Greek ship deployed in the Gulf of Aden as part of the EU maritime coalition also downed a drone off the coast of Yemen early on Thursday.

These events follow a decrease in Houthi attacks, who have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks towards ships in the Red Sea since November, claiming they are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Since last November, the Houthis have continued their attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, while the US and Britain have conducted attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen and re-listed the group as a terrorist organization due to their attacks on commercial ships.

Houthi attacks have led to increased insurance costs for ships crossing the Red Sea, prompting many shipping companies to prefer the much longer route around the southern tip of the African continent.