The Houthi militia once again attacked a freighter in the Red Sea – the US Navy then sank three boats belonging to the pro-Iranian group. The shipping company Maersk is suspending its trips through the area.
US Navy helicopters say they repelled an attack by Houthi militia boats on a freighter owned by the Maersk shipping company in the Red Sea. The container ship “Hanghzou” had previously sent out an emergency call that the ship was being attacked by smaller Houthi boats, said the regional command of the US armed forces, Centcom.
US Navy sinks three boats
The pro-Iranian fighters came within 20 meters of the freighter, attacked it with small arms and tried to board it. A security team on board returned fire. The attackers also fired on the helicopters from the US aircraft carrier “USS Eisenhower” and the destroyer “USS Gravely” that came to help, according to the US regional command.
The helicopter crews fired back in self-defense and three of the four attacking boats were sunk. Their crew was killed. The fourth boat fled. There was no damage or injuries on the US side.
Second call for help within 24 hours
According to the US military, it was the second attack on the Hangzhou within 24 hours. The US Navy had already responded to an initial call for help from the container ship when it was hit by a missile. However, the ship was reportedly seaworthy. No injuries were reported.
According to its own statements, the US military had previously shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles belonging to the Houthi militia from Yemen in the south of the Red Sea.
Maersk is suspending trips again
The Danish shipping company Maersk Line, whose fleet includes the “Hangzhou”, confirmed the attacks on the container ship. Accordingly, the freighter was traveling in the Bab al-Mandab Strait when it was attacked.
As a result, the company suspended trips through the affected area. All transit routes should be suspended for 48 hours to investigate the incident and assess the security situation, the company said, according to the dpa news agency.
Maersk had already suspended ships from traveling through the Bab al-Mandab Strait between Yemen and Djibouti in Africa in mid-December. Other shipping companies followed suit, including the German Hapag-Lloyd, and accepted delays and increased freight costs due to the long detours.
There have already been 23 Houthi attacks on ships
The Iran-backed Houthi militia sees itself as part of the self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance” directed against Israel. Most recently, the Houthis repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea – one of the most important shipping routes for world trade because it connects the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal in Egypt.
The US regional command said the rockets associated with the attack on the Hangzhou were also launched from an area controlled by the militia. It is the “23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping” since November 19th.