Germany accuses China of targeting aircraft with laser during Apsides Operation in Red Sea
In a post on the social media platform X, the German Foreign Ministry informed, 'The Chinese military employed a laser targeting a German aircraft in the EU operation #ASPIDES. Endangering German personnel & disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable. The Chinese ambassador was summoned to the Federal Foreign Office today.'
The German aircraft was targeted over the Red Sea during a routine operation, with no prior contact or reason, while taking part in the European Union's Aspides mission, according to a report by AFP quoting a spokesperson of the German Defence Ministry.
The targeted aircraft was a "multi-sensor platform" used as a "flying eye" for reconnaissance. The Chinese vessel had "taken the risk of endangering (German) personnel and equipment", the spokesperson said.
The German aircraft abandoned its mission after the encounter and returned to a base in Djibouti. However, there is no immediate clarity on whether the laser was a weapon or a laser guidance system.
The incident occurred on July 2 near the Yemeni coast, according to the report.
Around 700 German soldiers participated in the Aspides mission of the European Union in the Red Sea with the aim of protecting shipping from attacks by Houthi rebels of Yemen.
The Houthis took responsibility on Monday for the first such attack in 2025 on a Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged vessel, AFP reported.
Since tensions in Gaza escalated in October 2023, the Houthis have targeted Israeli territory and commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, claiming they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians. Earlier this year, they suspended attacks during a two-month ceasefire in Gaza, it added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
15 minutes ago
- Business Standard
CDS warns against Pak-China-Bangladesh collusivity for security interests
Possible convergence of interest among China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh may result in serious implications for India's stability and security dynamics, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan said on Tuesday. In an address at a think-tank, Gen Chauhan, delving into the May 7-10 military conflict between India and Pakistan, said it was perhaps for the first time that two nuclear weapon states were directly engaged in hostilities. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), referring to Beijing-Islamabad collusivity, said Pakistan has acquired almost 70 to 80 per cent of its weapons and equipment from China in the last five years. He said Chinese military firms have commercial liabilities in Pakistan. The top military officer said economic distress in the countries in the Indian Ocean region has given "outside powers" to leverage their influence which could create vulnerabilities for India. "There is a possible convergence of interest we can talk about between China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh that may have implications for India's stability and security dynamics," Gen Chauhan said at the event hosted by the Observer Research Foundation. His comments came as India's ties with Bangladesh witnessed a sharp downturn after deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled Dhaka and took shelter in India in August last year. While talking about various aspects of Operation Sindoor, the CDS said further "expansion of space" in conventional operations is possible by taking it to newer domains of warfare like cyber and electromagnetic spheres. Gen Chauhan said there were no unusual activities by the Chinese side along the northern border when India and Pakistan were engaged in the four-day conflict. "Maybe this is a short conflict. That's an assumption I can make. But it is a fact that there was no activity along the northern border (by the Chinese militaries)," he said. The top military officer also touched upon the strategic friendship between Pakistan and China. "In the past five years, Pakistan has acquired almost 70 to 80 per cent of its weapons and equipment from China. That's a fact. A reasonable assumption would be that Chinese OEMs (original equipment makers) will have commercial liabilities which they have to fulfil and will have people in Pakistan," he said. The CDS also highlighted how India called out Pakistan's nuclear bluff. "India has also said that it will not be deterred by nuclear blackmail. I think Operation Sindoor is the only example of a conflict between two nuclear weapon states," he said. Gen Chauhan said there have been hundreds of conflicts around the world ever since the nuclear weapons were invented, but it was for the first time that two nuclear weapon states were directly engaged in a conflict. "So Operation Sindoor, in that manner, is slightly unique in itself, and it may hold lessons not only for the subcontinent, but for the entire world," he said. In this context, he observed that there was a lot of space for conventional operations and cited three fundamental reasons to back his argument. "First is India's nuclear doctrine, that there's no first use. I think that gives us strength and that contributes to creating this particular space between us and Pakistan," he said. "Second is the way they responded actually. When India went to respond, we destroyed terrorist camps in response to the terror attack as part of a prevention strategy. You may call it revenge, you may call it retribution, but that ought to prevent further attacks." Gen Chauhan said Pakistan escalated the conflict into a fully conventional kind of a domain. "The escalation to a conventional domain was in the hands of Pakistan. Thus, it reduces its option to raise the threshold of this nuclear conflict," he noted. The top military officer said there is still space for expanding conventional operations. "The fourth evolving military challenge is increasing vulnerabilities to long-range vectors and long-range precision flights. There is currently no foolproof defense mechanism against ballistic missiles, hypersonics, cruise missiles, and large-scale attack by drones or loitering ammunition," he said. Talking about the changing dynamics of warfare, Gen Chauhan said India will have to be prepared for both old and new kinds of warfare. "The second evolving challenge from the military perspective is to keep a high degree of operational preparedness, 24/7 and 365 days," he said. Gen Chauhan also said there was total synergy among the Army, Navy and the Air Force during Operation Sindoor.
First Post
24 minutes ago
- First Post
Red Sea: Second Cargo Ship Hit as Yemen's Houthis Step Up Attacks Firstpost America
Red Sea: Second Cargo Ship Hit as Yemen's Houthis Step Up Attacks | Firstpost America | N18G Red Sea: Second Cargo Ship Hit as Yemen's Houthis Step Up Attacks | Firstpost America | N18G Two cargo ships have been attacked near Yemen's coast within 24 hours, raising fears of renewed instability in the Red Sea. The Liberian-flagged Eternity C was allegedly struck on July 7, injuring two crew members and leaving two others missing. A day earlier, the Magic Seas was hit and later evacuated as it began to sink. While the Houthis claimed Sunday's attack, citing Israeli links, no group has yet claimed Monday's strike. In response, Israel launched airstrikes on Houthi-controlled ports. The Iran-backed Houthis have previously targeted vessels since October 2023 amid the war in Gaza. Watch for the full update. See More
Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
Another France's first couple awkward moment, President Macron publicly snubbed by wife Brigitte after shoving scuffle
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have had yet another awkward public encounter, less than two months after their shoving scuffle, which grabbed eyeballs. The alleged incident took place on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, when the French president, 47, and his first lady, 72, arrived in the UK for a three-day state visit. The moment was captured on cameras as the first couple of France deplaned a jet at Royal Air Force Northolt in London. Brigitte was seen leaving her husband hanging as he held out his hand to help her walk down the steps. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New 3BHK Flats In Johor Bahru: (Price May Surprise You) Apartments | Search Ads Search Now Undo — wingatenews (@wingatenews) The Macrons were greeted at London's RAF Northolt air base by Prince William and his wife, Catherine, wearing a dress by French design house Christian Dior, before being met by King Charles and Queen Camilla in Windsor, west of London. They were driven to the almost 1,000-year-old royal residence of Windsor Castle in horse-drawn carriages, through streets bedecked in Union Jacks and French tricolour flags. Live Events In the previous encounter, which surfaced earlier in 2025, France's first lady was caught on camera, where she was seen pushing her husband back with her hands on his face. The awkward moment occurred after they landed in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, for a state visit. Following his arrival in the UK, Macron urged Britain to stick close to its neighbours despite its exit from the European Union, saying France and the UK will 'save Europe' by standing for democracy, law, and international order in a dangerous world. On a state visit that mixed royal pageantry with tough political talks on Ukraine and migration, Macron said Europe must strengthen its economy and defences and reduce its dependence 'on both the U.S. and China'. Macron's three-day trip, at the invitation of King Charles III, is the first state visit to the U.K. by a European Union head of state since Brexit and a symbol of the U.K. government's desire to reset relations with the bloc after Britain acrimoniously left the EU in 2020. The French president and his wife, Brigitte Macron, were treated to the full force of British ceremonial charm, a far cry from the chilly relations of 2022, when then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that the 'jury is out' on whether Macron was a friend or a foe. The king and queen hosted a banquet for the Macrons at Windsor Castle on Tuesday evening, with 160 guests, including politicians, diplomats and celebrities such as Mick Jagger and Elton John. They were served summer vegetables, chicken with asparagus and iced blackcurrant parfait, along with Champagne and a gin-infused cocktail called L'entente, after the 'entente cordiale' struck between Britain and France in 1904.
