EU military officer says a frigate has destroyed a drone launched from Yemen’s Houthi-held areas

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A top European Union top military officer says a frigate that’s part of an EU miliary mission in the Red Sea to protect merchant shipping has destroyed a drone launched from an area in Yemen controlled by Houthi rebels. Austrian Gen. Robert Brieger is the chair of the EU’s military Committee. He said that the downing of the drone took place Thursday morning. Brieger said it would be crucial for the EU to “conserve resources” over the long haul because the threat posed by Houthi attacks “will not disappear” due to the Israel-Hamas war. He said it’s the first time the EU has launched a naval operation in a hostile environment. Brieger called it a “litmus test” that the bloc will pass successfully.