Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond shoots down missile fired by Houthis in Yemen

A Royal Navy destroyer has shot down a missile fired by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

HMS Diamond was defending a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden on April 24 when her Sea Viper missile system was used to destroy the projectile, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, according to BBC.

The warship is currently deployed in the region to deter Houthi attacks.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps thanked the crew for helping to "save innocent lives" and protect shipping.

"The UK continues to be at the forefront of the international response to the Iranian-backed Houthis' dangerous attacks on commercial vessels, which have claimed the lives of international mariners," he added.

He told The Times that it was the first time a Royal Navy warship had intercepted a missile in combat since the Gulf War in 1991.

The Houthis - who control large swathes of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa - have been targeting vessels they say are linked to Israel and the West in response to the continuing Israel-Gaza war.

Global supply chains are now facing severe disruption and rising costs as a result of some of the biggest shipping companies diverting journeys away from the Red Sea - one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

On April 24, the Houthis claimed to have attacked the US ship Maersk Yorktown and an American destroyer in the Gulf of Aden.

The MoD said HMS Diamond's deployment in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden forms part of the UK's wider response to Houthi attacks.

This includes intercepting the smuggling of weapons to Yemen, imposing sanctions on members of the Houthis, and conducting proportionate and targeted strikes against its military targets.