Berlin

The mission of protecting merchant shipping from Houthi militants in Yemen by a German warship concluded as it departed from the Red Sea early on Saturday morning. The frigate was part of the EU’s defensive naval mission Aspides and was stationed in the Red Sea in February to safeguard merchant ships from militant attacks in Yemen, related to the conflict in Gaza. The Red Sea hosts the crucial sea route from Asia to Europe, passing through the Suez Canal. Houthi militants, aligned with Iran, seek to halt the Israeli military operation in Gaza.

The Bundeswehr stated that the frigate, with a crew of 240, completed its mission at 5:50am and left the operational area. During its deployment, the Hessen crew intercepted drones launched by militants, contributing to the German Navy’s first mission of its kind. The vessel escorted 27 merchant ships safely and successfully countered Houthi drones and missiles in four instances, covering over 11,000 kilometers.