Red Sea: US Navy helicopters destroy Houthi ships after hijacking attempt
image Source, reuters
Helicopters from the USS Eisenhower responded to the second distress call from a Danish container ship in 24 hours.
- Author, Adam Durbin
- Role, BBC News
The US Navy has destroyed Houthi “small boats” whose crew tried to board a container ship in the Red Sea.
According to the US military, four ships from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen fired on the Maersk Hangzhou and reached within meters of the ship.
Several helicopters from American warships anchored in the area responded to a distress call and, after firing, sank three ships “in self-defense.”
The crew of three small boats died. The fourth boat fled the area.
Since November, Houthi forces have attacked ships in the Red Sea: they have launched more than 100 drone and missile strikes against ships passing through this vital sea route.
The Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group previously claimed its attacks were targeting ships linked to Israel in response to the Gaza war.
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the commercial ship that was attacked, Maersk Hangzhou, is registered in Singapore and owned and operated by a Danish company.
Maersk, one of the world’s largest shipping companies, said that after the incident, it would suspend sailings through the Red Sea for 48 hours.
The company did not use this route again until a few days ago, when the US and its allies launched a mission to protect ships in the area.
Previously, Maersk ships were diverted to a much longer route around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid attacks.
attack
Four Houthi ships attacked with mounted weapons and light weapons at around 06:30 Yemeni time (03:30 GMT) and approached within 20 meters of the container ship to “try to board it”.
At that time, the ship’s crew issued a distress call and a security team responded to the fire, according to CentCom.
Helicopters from the nearby aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower and destroyer USS Gravely responded to the distress call and were fired upon “while making verbal calls to small aircraft”.
“The helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats and killing their crew members,” CentCom said. He said the fourth ship “escaped the area” and there was no damage to American personnel or material.
This is the second attack on Maersk Hangzhou in 24 hours, following the missile attack on Saturday.
Anti-ship missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas and the destroyers Gravely and Laboon responded on Saturday, according to a previous statement from CENTCOM.
A US Navy admiral told the AP news agency that the missile strike was the first successful strike since the global patrol began on December 18.
CENTCOM said that responding to the distress call, they fired two anti-ship missiles at two US Navy ships from areas controlled by the Houthis.
According to CENTCOM information, the USS Gravely destroyed these ballistic missiles as they approached.
According to the same source, this is “the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis against international ships” since 19 November.
Centcom said the Maersk Hangzhou was “seaworthy and there are no reports of injuries to anyone on board”.
Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization reported an incident in the Red Sea about 55 nautical miles (101 km) southwest of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
The organization said an unidentified ship had reported “a loud bang with a flash on the port bow of the ship” and multiple explosions.
There was no damage and all crew members were safe. According to the statement, the ship fled the area and headed towards a nearby port.
An increase in Houthi attacks for several weeks has forced many shipping companies, including Maersk, to divert their ships from the Red Sea to around the Horn of Africa.
To reach the Suez Canal in Egypt, which connects to the Mediterranean Sea, ships must cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait, unlike areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen.
Iranian-sponsored rebels previously claimed they attacked only “Israeli-linked” commercial vessels in response to the war in Gaza, claiming the attacks were an effort to deter Israeli attacks on Palestinians.
In a statement on Sunday, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he had told the Iranian foreign minister that Tehran “bears responsibility for stopping these attacks, given its long-standing support of the Houthis.”
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