A British warship shot down seven drones launched by Houthi fighters in the Red Sea in an operation with US forces to repel the largest drone and missile attack to date.

Report informs via Sky News that Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, said the drones had been heading towards HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer deployed by the UK to help protect shipping in the region, as well as commercial vessels on Tuesday night.

American warplanes, operating from a giant aircraft carrier, as well as other US warships, also took part in the mission along with the British destroyer.

They shot down 18 one-way attack drones - designed to explode upon impact - fired by Houthi militias in Yemen along with two anti-ship cruise missiles and one anti-ship ballistic missile. The attack started at about 9.15pm local time, according to a statement by the US military describing it as a "complex attack".

The US said this was the 26th Houthi attack on commercial shipping since 19 November.

"Deploying Sea Viper missiles and guns, Diamond destroyed multiple attack drones heading for her and commercial shipping in the area, with no injuries or damage sustained to Diamond or her crew," Mr Shapps said.