US Navy helicopters sank three of four small boats used by Iranian-backed Houthi militants to attack a merchant vessel in the southern Red Sea on Sunday, US central command (CENTCOM) said on social media platform X.
Helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely, responding to distress calls from the Maersk Hangzhou , returned fire on the Houthi boats in self-defense and sank three of the vessels with no survivors.
According to Reuters, the fourth boat fled the area.
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 manoeuvrable 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 group Hamas fighting Israel in Gaza.
