12/16/2023–|Last updated: 12/16/202310:43 PM (Mecca time)
The US Central Command announced that the missile destroyer Karni shot down 14 drones launched by Ansar Allah Houthis in the Red Sea. While a Houthi spokesman said that talks were taking place with “international parties” regarding their military operations, more maritime transport companies announced the suspension of their services in the Red Sea.
The US command said in a statement, “In the early morning hours of Saturday, an American guided missile destroyer operating in the Red Sea succeeded in engaging 14 unmanned aerial systems that were launched as a wave of drones from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.”
“The aerial systems were assessed as suicide attack drones and were shot down without any damage to ships in the area or any casualties reported. Regional partners in the Red Sea were alerted to the threat,” it added.
This comes at a time when Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdel Salam confirmed that his group had begun talks with international parties, which he did not name, to stop the escalation through the mediation of the Sultanate of Oman, indicating that the Houthis will continue to target Israeli ships and ships heading to Israel until the aggression stops and the siege on Gaza is lifted, and the flow of Continuous humanitarian aid to the Strip.
Abdel Salam said that any real steps that respond to the humanitarian situation in Palestine and Gaza by bringing in food and medicine would contribute to reducing the escalation, according to the statement.
The Houthis also did not comment on the US Central Command’s announcement of shooting down their drones.
Companies suspend their transit through the Red Sea
As ships heading to Israel continue to be attacked in the Red Sea, the Italian-Swiss shipping company MSC announced the suspension of the transit of its ships in the Red Sea after they were attacked on Friday, in a move similar to other groups in the maritime shipping sector.
The company explained in a statement that its ships would not use the Suez Canal “until passage through the Red Sea becomes safe,” and that the attack did not result in the injury of any of its crew members, and it did not add any other information about the nature of the attack.
The French shipping group CMA, CGM also announced that it had temporarily suspended all container shipments through the Red Sea following attacks on commercial ships in the region.
The group said in a statement that the situation is deteriorating further, and concerns about safety are increasing, and added that it has issued instructions to all container ships scheduled to pass through the Red Sea to reach safe areas, and to stop their journey until further notice.
This came after the Danish Maersk and German Hapag-Lloyd groups announced yesterday the suspension of the transit of their container ships in the Red Sea.
Claim to protect maritime transport
For its part, the Association of German Shipping Companies called for the formation of an international military coalition to protect civilian maritime transport in the Red Sea, following the attack on a German cargo ship.
The association’s CEO described the step as necessary to protect commercial shipping ships and their crew members, noting that there is a proliferation of ships belonging to the American, French, and British navies in the region.
The Chair of the Defense Committee in the German Parliament had previously expressed her support for the possible participation of the German Navy in protecting freedom of maritime transport in the Red Sea.
The Houthis announced earlier today that they targeted the city of Eilat on the Red Sea with drones, as part of pressure on Israel to stop its aggression against the Gaza Strip.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps also said today that the warship “HMS Diamond”, belonging to his country’s navy, shot down what was suspected to be an attack drone that was targeting commercial shipping ships in the Red Sea.