ATHENS, July 14 (Reuters) - The EU naval mission protecting ships crossing the Red Sea said that its frigate Psara had destroyed an unmanned aerial drone in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday.

The Aspides mission began in February in response to drone and missile attacks by Iranian-aligned Houthi militants on vessels in the region. The Houthis describe the attacks as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Israel's war in Gaza.

Other countries, including the United States, also have naval forces operating in the area. (Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas Editing by David Goodman )