The Singapore-flagged Maersk Hanzghou, owned by Denmark, was the target of an attack by Yemen’s Houthis.
The US military said Sunday it had shot down two ballistic missiles fired at a container ship by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
Hours later, four boats attempted to attack the same ship, and US forces opened fire, killing several armed people, US Central Command (Centcom) said. No one was injured on board the ship.
The Singapore-flagged, Danish-owned Maersk Hanzghou reported it had already been hit by a missile on Saturday evening while crossing the southern Red Sea and requested assistance, Centcom said in a statement. The USS Gravely and USS Laboon responded to the call for help. The ship is said to be seaworthy and no injuries have been reported, the statement added.
“This is the 23rd illegal attack carried out by the Houthis against international shipping since November 19”Centcom said.
In another statement, Centcom said the same ship issued an additional distress call regarding a second attack “led by four small Houthi boats supported by Iran”. The attackers fired small arms at the Maersk Hanzghou, which was less than 20 meters from the ship.
A security team on board the ship returned fire, US Central Command said. American helicopters from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS Gravely responded to the distress call and issued verbal warnings to the attackers. The crews of the small boats opened fire on the helicopters using small arms, the statement said.
“US Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense”sinking three of the four boats, killing the crews while the fourth boat fled the area, Centcom said, adding that no damage to American personnel or equipment was reported.
The Iran-backed Houthis have claimed attacks on ships in the Red Sea that they say are either linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports. They say their attacks are aimed at ending Israel’s offensive in Gaza following the Hamas attack on October 7.
On Saturday, the top commander of US naval forces in the Middle East said the Houthis have shown no signs of stopping their attacks “reckless” against commercial ships in the Red Sea, even as more countries join the international maritime mission to protect ships in this vital waterway.