Italian warship destroys Houthi missile

An Italian warship participating in the EU naval protection force in the Red Sea was forced to shoot down a Houthi missile on Saturday in a rare engagement by the country's navy, which has largely avoided direct action since the second world war.

- Patrick Wintour

The incident came as Houthi officials vowed to continue to attack British ships after the UK-owned Rubymar sank on Saturday having taken on water for a fortnight after being hit by a Houthi missile.

The Italian intervention came as politicians from the UN-recognised Yemeni government based in Aden travelled to London to lobby the Foreign Office to recognise that the months of Houthi attacks must end any possibility of a peace agreement in which the group plays a part in a future coalition government.

The destroyer Caio Duilio waited until the missile was within four miles (6km) before firing on it.

Italy is part of Operation Aspides, which was launched on 19 February and seeks to ensure freedom of navigation. It has a defensive mandate and is separate from the US-UK Operation Prosperity Guardian, which has attacked Yemeni targets and missile launchers on land.