The US Central Command on Sunday said that its military helicopters opened fire on four Houthi boats, sinking three of them with no survivors.
The fourth boat fled the scene.
The US military helicopters were dispatched to the area after Houthis opened fire on a Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned container ship and tried to board it. The Houthis also opened fire at a US Navy helicopter that flew to the ship’s aid.
“The container ship Maersk Hangzhou issued a second distress call in less than 24 hours, reporting being under attack by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats,” the statement from CENTCOM said, explaining that the small boats, originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, fired at the ship and attempted to board it.
“U.S. helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely responded to the distress call and in the process of issuing verbal calls to the small boats, the small boats fired at U.S. helicopters. The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats and killing the crews. The fourth boat fled the area. There was no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment.”
Maersk confirmed the report, saying that its ship was attacked as it was passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea. It later announced that it is suspending all sailing in the Red Sea for 48 hours.
On Motzei Shabbos, a U.S. warship shot down two ballistic missiles fired at the Maersk Hangzhou from Yemen. The ship was earlier shot by a missile but there were no injuries and the ship remained seaworthy.
“This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since Nov. 19,” CENTCOM stated.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
It is about time sleepy Joe offered up some kind of reaction. When a bully smacks you in the face and gets no reaction, he will do it again and again. But if you punch him in the nose, he will think twice about smacking you again. This is the reality in the Middle East, our enemies only run from strength not from weakness. Show weakness and you lose every time.
Why did the helicopters have to wait until the terrorists fired at them? They should have blown them out of the water immediately after they attempted to attack the container ship!
Billybob, I think you need to wake up, the U.S. bombed terrorist camps in Iraq and Syria last week.