PARIS: A French frigate that shot down two drones in the Red Sea was acting in self-defense after coming under attack from the unmanned aerial vehicles, the Foreign Ministry in Paris said on Monday.
The French general staff reported on Sunday that the Languedoc frigate, operating in the Red Sea, had opened fire on two drones heading straight toward it from the Yemen coast, destroying both.
The incident came after Houthis threatened on Saturday to attack any vessels heading to Israeli ports unless food and medicine were allowed into the besieged Gaza Strip.
The Foreign Ministry said the drones were engaged in an “attack” on its vessel and had been downed in “legitimate defense.”
The incident occurred amid “attacks and acts of piracy committed by Houthis in the Red Sea,” which represented a “worrying increase of assaults on the freedom of navigation in that zone,” it added.
The ministry urged the Houthis to “immediately stop attacks on civilians” and the freedom of movement.
FASTFACT
The Foreign Ministry urged the Houthis to ‘immediately stop attacks on civilians’ and the freedom of movement.
France was closely following developments in the Red Sea and called “on all actors to avoid any regional flare-up.”
The general staff said on Sunday the drone interceptions happened at 2030 GMT and 2230 GMT on Saturday, 110 km from the Yemeni coast and the port of Hodeidah, which is under Houthi control.
The drones “were flying directly toward the vessel,” the general staff said. The frigate used surface-to-air missiles of the Aster 15 type, designed for defense against short- to medium-range threats, a military source said.
The French navy had not used surface-to-air missiles in self-defense before.
The incident came amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea and surrounding waters, following a series of maritime attacks by Houthis since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.
In a statement posted on social media, the Houthis said they will prevent the passage of ships heading to Israel if humanitarian aid is not allowed into Gaza.
The Houthis have recently attacked ships they allege have direct links to Israel but the latest threat widens the scope of their targets.
Hamas welcomed the Houthi stance as “bold and courageous.”
A US destroyer shot down three drones earlier this month while providing assistance to commercial ships in the Red Sea that were targeted by attacks from Yemen, according to Washington.
It condemned what it said was “a direct threat” to maritime security.
Saturday’s incident was the first time that Houthis had targeted a French military vessel since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
