French Navy downs two drones over Red Sea as Houthis take aim at ‘Israeli’ ships

Multiple drone attacks originating in Yemen detected overnight; U.S. military MQ-9 drone shot down near Yemen

The French Navy has shot down two drones over the Red Sea where Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been attacking ships, the defense ministry in Paris said Tuesday.

The Navy, which has two frigates deployed in the area, detected “multiple drone attacks originating in Yemen” overnight Monday to Tuesday, before destroying two of the unmanned aircraft, the ministry said.

The attack came a day after the European Union formally launched a naval mission to protect Red Sea shipping from the Iran-backed Houthis, who control much of war-torn Yemen.