ROME, Mac 13 (NNN-XINHUA) – Italian warship Duilio, operating in the Red Sea, intercepted and downed two drones, defence authorities said, yesterday.
The vessel is part of the EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR)’s ASPIDES operation, recently launched by the European Union (EU) to safeguard cargo ships navigating through areas affected by Yemen’s Houthi group, said Italy’s Defence General Staff.
The EUNAVFOR specified that, the downing was carried out to repel an attack launched from Houthi-controlled areas that posed “a direct and imminent threat to the freedom of navigation.”
Approved by the EU Council, ASPIDES has an official defensive mandate to provide “maritime situational awareness, accompany vessels, and protect them against possible multi-domain attacks at sea,” according to the EU.
“The shooting down of our drones by the Italian navy is a new confirmation that Italy has sided with our enemies and in defence of Israel,” Abdennaser Mahamed, an official with the Houthi media department in Sanaa, told Ansa news agency yesterday.
He added, Italy was not a direct target of the movement at the moment, and Houthi’s attacks in the Red Sea would stay focused on “preventing Israeli ships from heading to occupied Palestine, and targeting U.S. and British ships for American and British support to Israel in attacking Gaza.”– NNN-XINHUA
