Baku:The French frigate “Languedoc” successfully intercepted and shot down a drone that posed a threat to a container ship owned by the French shipping company CMA CGM, as it traversed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the French General Staff confirmed that the frigate took action when the drone approached the commercial vessel. The intervention forced the drone to change direction and speed before it was eventually neutralized by the frigate’s artillery.

The targeted vessel was identified as the cargo ship “Champs Elysées,” a significant asset of CMA CGM and among the largest container ships globally, capable of carrying up to 23,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

In a related context, French President Emmanuel Macron had previously announced military reinforcements to the port of Yanbu in Saudi Arabia last September, aiming to safeguard energy infrastructure amidst threats from Houthi attacks. This situation has led to heightened concerns among CMA CGM employees, some of whom increasingly hesitate to navigate through the region due to fears of becoming targets.