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On December 16, the Houthis (Ansar Allah) announced that they had launched a drone attack from Yemen against several targets in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat.
“We have carried out a military operation on sensitive targets in Eilat using a large batch of drones,” Brigade General Yahya Sari, a spokesman for the Houthi, said in a statement. “We confirm that we will continue to attack Israel until its aggression against our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip stops.”
There were no comments yet from Israel on the Houthis’ drone attack. However, Egyptian media reported that Egypt’s air defenses shot down in the morning a suspected drone over the eastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula, about 120 kilometers south of Eilat.
Later on in the day, British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said that a Royal Navy destroyer has brought down a suspected drone in the Red Sea.
“Overnight, HMS Diamond shot down a suspected attack drone which was targeting merchant shipping in the Red Sea. One Sea Viper missile was fired and successfully destroyed the target,” Shapps said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The United States Central Command also announced that the Arliegh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Carney engaged 14 drones launched as a wave from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in the morning.
“The drones were assessed to be one-way attack drones and were shot down with no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries,” the command said in a statement, noting that “Regional Red Sea partners were alerted to the threat.”
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, are a part of the so-called Axis of Resistance that is backed by Iran and opposes Israel.
The group has fired several missiles and drones at the southernmost Israeli city of Eilat since the beginning of the Israeli war on the Palestinian Gaza Strip. It has also assaulted a number of Israeli-owned ships and announced a blockade on all ships heading to Israel.
The Houthis recent attacks forced ships heading to Israel from Asia to take a route that circles Africa, making the journey three weeks longer and more expensive. In addition, the arrival of commercial ships to the port of Eilat has almost completely stopped.
The U.S. has reportedly warned the Houthis from continuing their attacks and is preparing to announce a special upgraded multinational task force in the Red Sea.
