US Navy helicopters repel Houthi attack on Maersk ship in Red Sea

This handout picture courtesy of the US Navy taken on October 19, 2023 shows the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) defeating a combination of Houthi missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles in the Red Sea. AFP FILE PHOTO/ASSEMBLEE NATIONALE

DUBAI — US Navy helicopters sank three of four small boats used by Iranian-backed Houthi militants to attack a Maersk container vessel in the southern Red Sea, the U.S. military said on Sunday.

Helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely, responding to distress calls from the Maersk Hangzhou, returned fire on the Houthi boats in self-defence and sank three of the vessels with no survivors, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

The fourth boat fled the area, said the statement on social media platform X.

Danish shipping company Maersk confirmed that the crew onboard Maersk Hangzhou had reported a flash on deck on Dec 30 at around 1830 CET, when the vessel was 55 nautical miles southwest of Al Hodeidah.

The crew was safe and there was no indication of fire onboard the vessel that was fully maneuverable and continued its journey north to Port Suez, Maersk said.

The Houthi militants in Yemen have stepped up attacks on vessels in the Red Sea to show their support for Palestinian Islamist group Hamas fighting Israel in Gaza.