Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched a series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, one of the world\u2019s busiest shipping routes, and have launched drones and missiles targeting Israel, as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to spread.<\/p>\n
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An image of HMS Diamond firing its Sea Viper missile to engage and shot down an aerial drone over the Red Sea.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Royal Navy<\/cite><\/p>\n US Central Command said that the destroyer USS Carney \u201csuccessfully engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems\u201d launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.<\/p>\n The drones \u201cwere shot down with no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries,\u201d Central Command tweeted.<\/p>\n UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said that HMS Diamond fired a Sea Viper missile and destroyed a drone that was \u201ctargeting merchant shipping.\u201d The overnight action is the first time the Royal Navy has shot down an aerial target in anger since the 1991 Gulf War.<\/p>\n Shapps said attacks on commercial ships in the global trade artery by Yemen\u2019s Houthi rebels \u201crepresent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe UK remains committed to repelling these attacks to protect the free flow of global trade,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n HMS Diamond was sent to the region two weeks ago as a deterrent, joining vessels from the US, France and other countries.<\/p>\n Global shipping has become a target during the war between Israel and Hamas, which like the Houthis is backed by Iran.<\/p>\n Houthi rebels said they fired a barrage of drones on Saturday toward the port city of Eilat in southern Israel. The announcement came hours after Egypt\u2019s state-run media reported that Egyptian air defense had shot down a \u201cflying object\u201d off the Egyptian resort town of Dahab on the Red Sea.<\/p>\n A Royal Navy warship has shot down a suspected attack drone targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea, officials said. <\/span>Credit: <\/span>Royal Navy<\/cite><\/p>\n Israeli-linked vessels also have been targeted, but the threat to trade has grown as container ships and oil tankers flagged to countries like Norway and Liberia have been attacked or drawn missile fire while traversing the waterway between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, three commercial ships in the Red Sea were struck by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen. A US warship shot down three drones during the assault, the US military said.<\/p>\n French container shipping line CMA CGM Group said Saturday it had ordered all its vessels scheduled to pass through the Red Sea to \u201cpause their journey in safe waters with immediate effect until further notice.\u201d<\/p>\n On Friday Maersk, the world\u2019s biggest shipping company, also told all its vessels planning to pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea to stop their journeys after a missile attack on a Liberian-flagged cargo ship. German-based shipper Hapag-Lloyd said it was pausing all its container ship traffic through the Red Sea until Monday.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n