DUBAI: In the midst of escalating maritime tensions in the area, UK warship Grant Shapps announced on Saturday that it has shot down a suspected attack drone in the Red Sea.
In an effort to strengthen its position in the Gulf, Britain declared last month that it was deploying HMS Diamond, one of its most sophisticated navy ships, there.
HMS Diamond fired down a suspected attack drone that was aiming for Red Sea merchant ships during the course of the night. “A single Sea Viper missile was launched and effectively eliminated the target,” according to a statement released by Shapps on X, the previous Twitter platform.
According to the defense ministry, HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer, is undertaking operations to guarantee merchant vessel safety, freedom of navigation, and the uninterrupted flow of trade.
The deployment came after Hamas and Israel began fighting, and on November 19, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen captured a cargo ship connected to Israel in the Red Sea.
Since Hamas fighters crossed into Israel on October 7, the Houthis have launched numerous drone and missile attacks against the country, killing some 1,140 people—mostly civilians—according to Israeli estimates. In all, almost 240 persons were abducted during the attacks.
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