US Navy engages and sinks Houthi boats in Red Sea clash following attack on Maersk ship – Top developments

US Navy engages and sinks Houthi boats in Red Sea clash following attack on Maersk ship – Top developments

The US Navy headquarters reported sinking three small boats affiliated with Houthi militants in the Red Sea, according to military officials. This occurred as a response after a US warship answered a distress call from a merchant vessel in the region. The incident involved a Maersk container ship being targeted by Houthi forces at approximately 6.30 am local time, facing an attack from four small Houthi boats. Reuters quoted accounts by American, Maersk, and Houthi officials stating that US helicopters repelled an attack by Iran-backed Houthi militants on a Maersk container vessel, sinking three boats and killing 10 militants.

“The small boats, originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, fired crew-served and small-arms weapons at the Maersk Hangzhou, getting to within 20 meters of the vessel, and attempted to board the vessel,” Central Command said.

Maersk said it will pause all sailing through the Red Sea for 48 hours after the attack. Maersk will pause all container shipments through the Red Sea until further notice, a spokesperson for the company told Reuters on Friday. Maersk on Thursday said its vessel Maersk Gibraltar was targeted by a missile while travelling from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and that the crew and vessel were reported safe. Earlier on Friday Maersk denied a claim by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement that the militia had struck a Maersk vessel sailing towards Israel.

Houthi in Red Sea

As per a Reuters report, the Houthi spokesperson said that the vessel was attacked by Houthi because it refused to heed the warning calls. At least 10 Houthi fighters are either missing or dead after this incident, according to the Houthi spokesperson.

The Houthi movement is a Shia Islamist political and military organization, with its origin in Yemen. Since November, Houthis have been targeting the shipping vessels in the Red Sea to show their support to Hamas against the continuous airstrikes and counter-attacks of Israel in the retaliation against October 7 attacks by Hamas.

(inputs from agencies)