Last Saturday, Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced that the organization would target any ships heading to or from Israel, regardless of their nationality, and warned all international shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.

On Monday, the group attacked the MT Strinda, a Norwegian bio-diesel tanker passing through the Bab-el-Mandeb, the strait that connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea. At least one missile struck the tanker, causing a fire. No casualties were reported in the attack.  

A Houthi spokesman said the MT Strinda was delivering oil to Israel, but the ship’s owners said it was headed to Italy with feedstock for biofuel.

French guided-missile frigate FS Languedoc shot down a drone while patrolling nearby, Naval News reported.

“Languedoc which was patrolling the area intercepted and destroyed a drone directly threatening the Strinda. The French Navy ship then placed itself in position to protect the affected vessel, preventing the attempt to hijack the ship,” reads a Naval News translation of the French Navy statement on the incident.

“The fire on board the Strinda was brought under control. No injuries were reported. The USS Mason then escorted the Strinda to the Gulf of Aden out of the threat zone. Languedoc has resumed its patrol towards the North.”

This is the third drone from Yemen that the French frigate has intercepted since Sunday. On December 9, the Languedoc shot down two drones that were heading straight toward it, coming from the coast of Yemen.