Houthi drones shot down after ‘large-scale’ attack – as aid ship prepares to leave Cyprus for Gaza
Fifteen drones fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have been shot down by the American military and its allies this morning, authorities say.
US Central Command, also known as Centcom, said it had responded to a “large-scale” attack early on Saturday.
The uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) presented “an imminent threat to merchant vessels, US navy and coalition ships in the region,” Centcom posted on X.
It said its navy ships and aircraft, along with “multiple coalition navy ships and aircraft”, shot down 15 UAVs.
“These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure,” it added.
The Houthis’ military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the group had carried out two military operations, the first of which targeted the Singapore-flagged bulk carrier Propel Fortune in the Gulf of Aden.
In the second operation, Saree claimed several US military destroyers in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden were targeted “by 37 drones”.
Centcom said the first attack set off explosions ahead of the Propel Fortune, but the ship continued on its way.
“The missiles did not impact the vessel,” it said. “There were no injuries or damages reported.”
The explosions came after a Houthi missile struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, killing three of its crew members and forcing survivors to abandon ship.
It was the first fatal strike in a campaign of assaults since November which the Houthis say is aimed at putting pressure on Israel to stop the war in Gaza – which faces the threat of famine after five months of conflict.
Meanwhile, a food aid ship was making preparations to leave Larnaca in Cyprus on Saturday and head to the besieged Palestinian territory where EU chiefs have said a “humanitarian catastrophe” is unfolding.
The vessel, which is owned by Spain’s Open Arms NGO group, will carry out a test journey of a new maritime corridor.
A ship in Larnaca prepares to take 200 tons of rice and flour to Gaza. Pic: AP
Humanitarian aid for Gaza is loaded on to a platform at the port of Larnaca in Cyprus. Pic: Reuters
Under the plan, the ship will pull a barge loaded with 200 tons of rice and flour close to the Gaza shoreline.
Pontoon boats will then tow the barge to a pier at an undisclosed location which is being built by the World Central Kitchen charity, that has 60 food kitchens throughout Gaza to distribute aid.
Israel welcomed the sea route but said the ship would still need to complete security checks to its “standards”.
Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden announced plans to build a “temporary pier” on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast, which could take weeks. No US troops would enter Gaza to construct it.
The American military has already delivered about 124,000 meals during four airdrops over the Gaza Strip in recent days.
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Hunger is most acute in northern Gaza, which has been isolated by Israeli forces fighting Hamas and has suffered long cut-offs of food supplies.
At least 20 people have died from malnutrition and dehydration at the north’s Kamal Adwan and Shifa hospitals, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Most of the dead are children.
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The war started after Hamas launched a cross-border attack on southern Israel on 7 October last year, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 250 others hostage.
Israel retaliated with strikes and a military ground assault in Gaza which have so far killed about 31,000 people, around two-thirds of them women and children, said the health ministry.
Around 80% of the population of 2.3 million have fled their homes, and UN agencies say hundreds of thousands are on the brink of famine.
More than 100 hostages in Gaza have been released.
“Super high-IQ revolutionaries” who are willing to work 80+ hours a week are being urged to join Elon Musk’s new cost-cutting department in Donald Trump’s incoming US government.
The X and Tesla owner will co-lead the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
And in a post on X, the official DOGE account put out a call to arms for people to sign up and help “dismantle government bureaucracy”.
The post said: “We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE.
“We don’t need more part-time idea generators.
“We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.
“If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”
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Elon Musk speaking at an event held at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Pic: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
In a reply to an interested party, Mr Musk suggested the lucky applicants would be working for free.
“Indeed, this will be tedious work, make lost of enemies & compensation is zero,” the world’s richest man wrote.
“What a great deal!”
When announcing the new department, President-elect Donald Trump said Mr Musk and Mr Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies”.
Mr Musk has previously made clear his desire to see cuts to “government waste” and in a post on his X platform suggested he could axe as many as three-quarters of the more than 400 federal departments in the US, writing: “99 is enough.”
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
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The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
Read more from Sky News:
Mass displacement in Gaza – people unsure where to go
Donald Trump picks vaccine sceptic as health secretary
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
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