Yemen’s Houthis have continued their attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea, with the most recent being on the Maersk Hangzhou. The U.S. Navy clashed with Houthi raiders attempting to board the ship yesterday, killing 10 of them. The attack on the Maersk Hangzhou not only involved a missile but also a boarding attempt involving four speedboats, three of which were destroyed by helicopters from nearby U.S. ships, reported AP. The USS Gravely and helicopters from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier responded to the Maersk Hangzhou’s distress call and issued verbal warnings to the attackers, who responded by firing against the helicopters.
The Houthis acknowledged that 10 of their fighters were killed in the confrontation and warned of consequences. Yemeni military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree confirmed that the United States “bears the consequences and repercussions of this crime,” stressing that the U.S.’ military “maneuvers in the Red Sea to protect Israeli vessels will not deter Yemen from fulfilling its religious, moral, and humanitarian duty to support and champion the oppressed in Palestine and Gaza.”
