EU Naval Mission Says it Destroyed Aerial Drone in Gulf of Aden

Houthi supporters protest against the US and Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 12 July 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
Houthi supporters protest against the US and Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 12 July 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
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EU Naval Mission Says it Destroyed Aerial Drone in Gulf of Aden

Houthi supporters protest against the US and Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 12 July 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
Houthi supporters protest against the US and Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 12 July 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB

The EU naval mission protecting ships crossing the Red Sea said that its frigate Psara had destroyed an unmanned aerial drone in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday.

The Aspides mission began in February in response to drone and missile attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militias on vessels in the region. The Houthis describe the attacks as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Israel's war in Gaza.

Other countries, including the United States, also have naval forces operating in the area.

Iran has long denied arming the Houthis, likely because of a yearslong United Nations arms embargo on the militias. However, the US and its allies have seized multiple arms shipments bound for the insurgents in Mideast waters.



Israel Targets Suspected Arms Smuggler in Airstrike Near Beirut

Lebanese soldiers inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a vehicle south of Beirut (AFP)
Lebanese soldiers inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a vehicle south of Beirut (AFP)
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Israel Targets Suspected Arms Smuggler in Airstrike Near Beirut

Lebanese soldiers inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a vehicle south of Beirut (AFP)
Lebanese soldiers inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a vehicle south of Beirut (AFP)

An Israeli airstrike killed a suspected arms smuggler south of Beirut on Thursday, in a sharp escalation in Lebanon that coincided with internal talks over Hezbollah’s disarmament in line with US demands, Lebanese officials said.

The strike targeted a vehicle on the coastal highway in the Khalde area, just south of the Lebanese capital, according to the state-run National News Agency. Social media footage showed a missile hitting a car, which came to a halt before a second strike hit the driver as he attempted to flee.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed one person was killed and three others wounded in the attack.

The Israeli military said the strike eliminated an operative working on behalf of Iran’s Quds Force, accusing him of trafficking weapons and planning attacks against Israeli civilians and military forces.

Israel’s Army Radio reported that the individual was affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The strike comes amid rising tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border and as Lebanese factions discuss the future of Hezbollah’s weapons amid pressure from Washington to curtail the group’s military power.

Thursday’s airstrike was one of the few Israeli attacks in or near Beirut since the truce with Hezbollah took effect in November.

Only two other strikes have been recorded in the area over the past eight months, including one on Eid al-Fitr that killed a senior Hezbollah figure allegedly linked to coordination with Hamas in the group’s southern Beirut stronghold.

Another strike in Naameh, south of the capital, targeted and killed a senior official from the Islamic Group, a Sunni faction with ties to southern Lebanon’s Hasbaya region.

The latest escalation comes as Lebanese leaders prepare a unified response to a US-backed proposal calling for Hezbollah to disarm and place all weapons under state control.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has maintained positions in southern Lebanon beyond the agreed February withdrawal deadline and continues to carry out airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, following more than a year of cross-border hostilities with Hezbollah.