Three Houthi Boats Sink in Red Sea, Armed Crewmen Killed in U.S. Airstrikes
Four Houthi boats attempted on Sunday to seize container ship MAERSK HANGZHOU in the Red Sea, ending up in the drowning of three of the boats and killing its crews after exchanging fire with the U.S. forces, the U.S. Central Command said on Sunday.
This direct clash has been the first between the Houthi group and U.S. forces since the start of the escalation in the Red Sea in October.
The Central Command stated, "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."
The ship issued a distress call, prompting the U.S. helicopters to respond. When the helicopters issued verbal calls to the Houthi boats, the crew on the boats opened fire on the helicopters.
The statement added, "The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats and killing the crews. The fourth boat fled the area. There was no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment."
The Singapore-flagged MAERSK HANGZHOU was hit by a Houthi missile Saturday night while transiting the Southern Red Sea. The ship, which is Denmark-owned, continued sailing, and its crew was unharmed.
The USS Gravely intercepted two anti-ship missiles which had been fired from Yemen, CENTCOM said on Saturday. The missiles seemed to have been fired at the USS Gravely and the USS Laboon, which was responding to the Maersk Hangzhou, CENTCOM said.
Since November 19, the Houthis have launched 23 attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea. They say their operations are in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been bombed and blockaded by Israel since October 7.
On Friday, the Houthi group warned the U.S. against any military escalation, saying that it will respond to any attacks by American forces or American allies.
Yahia Sarea, the military spokesperson of the Houthi group, said in a statement, "The Yemeni Armed Forces caution the American enemy against the consequences of any escalation against [Yemen] and its people and warn all countries that the Americans seek to involve … in protecting the ships of the Zionist enemy."
The U.S. has carried out defensive operations since the escalation began in the Red Sea and has avoided targeting Houthi military sites or personnel. But today's U.S.-Houthi clash marks a new chapter of escalation in the Red Sea, and it may invite further Houthi attacks.
Last week, the Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam warned the U.S., saying, "The Red Sea will be a burning arena if America and its allies continue their bullying."
He denounced the "militarization of the Red Sea" by America and its partners, accusing the Americans of "posing a threat to international maritime navigation" and asking them to go from the Red Sea.
In his latest speech on December 20, the Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi warned that his group would launch deadly attacks on U.S. warships and interests across the Middle East if Washington waged war against Yemen. The Houthi group says its attacks on Israeli-linked ships and Israel will stop when Israel ceases its war on Gaza.
