According to German outlet Der Spiegel, the incident took place near the coast of Yemen. The plane was a reconnaissance aircraft, and the laser came from a Chinese vessel, Spiegel reported.
Senior German conservative MP Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, said that Chinese laser attacks occur frequently. He told POLITICO that summoning Beijing’s ambassador was an insufficient response.
The Aspides EU military operation started in February 2024 to protect vessels against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militants in the southern Red Sea and aims to ensure the freedom of international shipping.
Multiple EU member countries contribute to the mission, including Germany, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands and Sweden.
The U.S. carried out a short-lived bombing campaign against the Houthis earlier this year to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, during which American military battle plans were infamously shared with a journalist on Signal.
This story has been updated.