Stacks of containers are pictured at the UK's largest freight port, in Felixstowe on the East coast of England, on Jan. 27, 2024. (Credit: Ben Stansall/AFP)
LONDON — A British warship, the HMS Diamond, repelled a drone attack on Saturday from Yemen's Houthi group in the Red Sea, British officials said.
"Deploying her Sea Viper missile system, Diamond destroyed a drone targeting her with no injuries or damage sustained to Diamond or her crew," the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
"These intolerable and illegal attacks are completely unacceptable and it is our duty to protect the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea."
The Iran-aligned Houthi movement began launching waves of exploding drones and missiles at vessels on Nov. 19 in response to Israel's military operations in Gaza. On Friday, a tanker vessel was attacked, sparking a fire on board.
US and British warplanes, ships and submarines have responded to the Houthi attacks on shipping with dozens of retaliatory strikes across Yemen against Houthi forces.
Diamond, repelled a drone attack on Saturday from Yemen's Houthi
group in the Red Sea, British officials said.
"Deploying her Sea Viper missile system, Diamond destroyed a
drone targeting her with no injuries or damage sustained to
Diamond or her crew," the Defense Ministry said in a
statement on Sunday.
"These...