Aggravating maritime security in the Red Sea, the United States on Sunday sank three boats carrying Iran-backed Houthi rebels and killed ten militants after they attacked a Danish-owned and Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhou container ship. The Houthi boat crew members attempted to board a container ship in the Red Sea.
The US military stated that four vessels from the Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen had opened fire on Hangzhou, after which, responding immediately, helicopters from the nearby US warships responded by sinking Houthi’s three boats in self-defense. The fourth Houthi-owned boat had fled from the area. After the attack, Maersk stated that it was pausing all sailing through the Red Sea for a period of 48 hours.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Houthis said that they carried out the attack because the Maersk ship’s crew members refused to listen to their warnings. He also confirmed that Ten of its naval personnel were “dead and missing” after being attacked by the US forces.
The Houthis began attacking the boat with mounted weapons and small arms and were able to get within 20 meters of the container ship. After this, the Maersk Hangzhou ship’s crew members issued a distress call and the security team began firing.
The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November and have disrupted naval security by launching more than 100 drone and missile attacks on various vessels passing through the vital shipping passage. The Houthi rebels are doing this to show their support for Hamas terrorists amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, after the latter’s unprecedented attack on Israeli civilians on October 7. However, they had stated that they would attack the ships going to or coming from Israel.
Notably, this was the second attack on Hangzhou in 24 hours, as the ship was targeted on Saturday too. The attack was even confirmed by Maersk, which stated that its vessel was hit by an unknown object, it however added that there was no indication of fire on board.
It is essential to note here that Maersk is one of the largest shipping companies in the world, nonetheless, after witnessing several attacks on the Red Sea by the Houthis, its ships were diverted to a longer route around the Cape of Good Hope. Only a few days ago, Maersk ships had resumed sailings through the Red Sea after the US and its allies launched a mission to protect the ships in the region from Houthis.
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