LONDON: Britain’s Royal Navy shot down a missile targeting a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden by Houthis, said the defence ministry on Thursday.
The HMS Diamond warship shot down the missile on Wednesday using a Sea Viper missile system, the ministry said.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the UK continues to be at the forefront of the global response to the dangerous attacks on commercial ships by Iranian-backed Houthis.
He said such attacks have already claimed the lives of international mariners.
Shapps in a statement thanked the crew of HMS Diamond for saving innocent lives and protecting international shipping from illegal Houthi attacks.
US and British forces on January 12 launched their first joint strikes aimed at reducing the Houthis’ capability to target ships in the key Red Sea trade route. The Houthis say the attacks are in support of Palestinians who are facing an Israeli war in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis started targeting the Red Sea shipping in November.
The US military has also conducted unilateral air raids, but the Houthis have expressed their resolve to continue their attacks.
About 12 percent of international maritime traffic passes through the Red Sea. Since the attacks started, several shipping firms have halted using the waterway, and are taking the longer and more expensive route around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
