US Navy Helicopters Destroy Houthi Boats in Red Sea after Attempted Hijack

The US Navy has destroyed Houthi “small boats” whose crew attempted to board a container ship in the Red Sea.

Four vessels from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen fired upon the Maersk Hangzhou and got within metres of the ship, the US military said.

Helicopters from nearby US warships responded to a distress call – and, after being fired upon, sank three boats “in self-defence”.

The crews were killed and the fourth boat fled the area.

A Houthi spokesperson said the vessel had refused to respond to warning calls, and that 10 of its group members were dead or missing after the incident.

Houthi forces have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November, launching more than 100 drone and missile attacks on vessels passing through the vital shipping lane.

The Iranian-backed Yemeni rebel group has previously claimed its attacks are directed at vessels linked to Israel, in response to the war in Gaza.

The commercial ship targeted, the Maersk Hangzhou, is registered to Singapore and operated and owned by a Danish firm, US Central Command (Centcom) said.

The four Houthi boats attacked at around 06:30 Yemeni time (03:30 GMT) with mounted weapons and small arms, getting within 20m (66ft) of the container ship, which the crew “attempted to board”. The ships crew issued a distress call and a security team returned fire, Centcom said.

Helicopters from the nearby USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier and USS Gravely destroyer responded to the call for help and were shot at while “in the process of issuing verbal calls to the small boats”.

The helicopters “returned fire in self-defence, sinking three of the four small boats, and killing the crews”, Centcom said. It added that the fourth boat “fled the area” and no damage had been recorded to US personnel or equipment.

It was the second attack on the Hangzhou in 24 hours, after the ship was targeted on Saturday. Centcom said anti-ship missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas, and the destroyers Gravely and Laboon responded.

Maersk said the attack happened at about 17:30 GMT. It confirmed that its vessel was “hit by an unknown object” but there was “no indication of fire on board”.

• Source – BBC