Houthis attack US navy chopper: US Navy helicopters fire at Yemen’s Houthi rebels and kill several in latest Red Sea shipping attack

Beirut, Dec 31 (AP) The US army mentioned on Sunday that its forces opened hearth on Houthi rebels after they attacked a cargo ship within the Crimson Sea, killing a number of of them in an escalation of the maritime battle linked to the conflict in Gaza. In a collection of statements, the US Central Command mentioned the crew of the USS Gravely destroyer first shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired on the Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhou late Saturday, after the vessel reported getting hit by a missile earlier that night because it sailed by means of the Southern Crimson Sea.

4 small boats then attacked the identical cargo ship with small arms hearth early Sunday and rebels tried to board the vessel, the US Navy mentioned.

Subsequent, the USS Gravely and helicopters from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower plane provider responded to the Maersk Hangzhou’s misery name and issued verbal warnings to the attackers, who responded by firing on the helicopters.

“The US Navy helicopters returned hearth in self-defence,” sinking three of the 4 boats and killing the individuals on board whereas the fourth boat fled the world, the US Central Command mentioned. No harm to US personnel or tools was reported.

There was no rapid remark from the Houthis.

The occasions surrounding the Maersk Hangzhou represented the twenty third unlawful assault by the Houthis on worldwide transport since November 19, the Central Command mentioned. It was the primary time the US Navy mentioned its personnel had killed Houthi fighters for the reason that Crimson Sea assaults began. For over a month, Iran-backed Houthis have claimed assaults on ships within the Crimson Sea that they are saying are both linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports. They are saying their assaults goal to finish the Israeli air-and-ground offensive within the Gaza Strip that was triggered by the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ October 7 assault in southern Israel. Nonetheless, the hyperlinks to the ships focused within the insurgent assaults have grown extra tenuous because the assaults proceed.

The Denmark-based transport large Maersk, proprietor of Maersk Hangzhou, mentioned Sunday it could droop transport by means of the Crimson Sea once more after the 2 assaults on its freighter.

“In gentle of the (most up-to-date) incident – and to offer time to analyze the main points of the incident and assess the safety scenario additional – it has been determined that every one transits by means of the world will probably be postponed for the subsequent 48 hours,” Maersk was quoted as saying by the Danish public broadcaster DR.

On Saturday, the highest commander of US naval forces within the Center East mentioned Houthi rebels have proven no indicators of ending their “reckless” assaults on business ships within the Crimson Sea at the same time as extra nations be a part of the worldwide maritime mission to guard vessels within the important waterway and commerce site visitors begins to select up.

Earlier this month, Washington introduced the institution of a brand new worldwide coalition to guard vessels touring by means of the waterway. The UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain are additionally a part of the brand new maritime safety mission.

For the reason that Pentagon introduced Operation Prosperity Guardian to counter the assaults simply over 10 days in the past, 1,200 service provider ships have travelled by means of the Crimson Sea area, and none had been hit by drone or missile strikes, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper informed The Related Press in an interview on Saturday.