Ten Houthi fighters were killed and two others were injured today (Sunday) as a result of targeting by U.S. warships. Houthi boats attacked a container ship in the southern Red Sea, according to the French news agency, Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The agency reported, citing two maritime sources in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah who wished to remain anonymous, “Ten Houthis were killed, and two were rescued after being injured in the American bombardment on Houthi boats that were attempting to stop a ship off Hodeidah.” They added, “Four survivors reached Hodeidah with two wounded, who were transferred to Al-Sammad Hospital.”
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that Navy helicopters sank three out of four boats used by the Houthis in Yemen, killing the crews of all three boats, after they attacked a container ship owned by the Danish company Maersk in the southern Red Sea.
CENTCOM stated in a release today (Sunday) that the helicopters launched from the aircraft carriers Eisenhower and Gravely in response to distress calls from the ship “Maersk Hangzhou,” and engaged the Houthi boats, sinking three without survivors. The release added that the fourth boat fled the area.
The Danish shipping company Maersk confirmed that the crew aboard the ship “Maersk Hangzhou” reported flashes on the ship’s surface on December 30, around 18:30 Central European Time (17:30 GMT), when the ship was about 55 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah.
The company said the crew is safe, and there was no indication of a fire onboard the ship, which was able to maneuver and continued its journey north to the Suez Port in Egypt. Following the incident, Maersk, the Danish company, suspended its trips through the Red Sea for 48 hours. The Singapore-flagged ship can carry more than 14,000 containers.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron (Sunday) said in a telephone call with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, that “Tehran shares responsibility in preventing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.” Earlier, CENTCOM announced the interception of two ballistic missiles launched towards a container ship in the southern Red Sea from areas controlled by the Houthis.
