A US naval helicopter has destroyed Houthi boats that were attempting to kidnap the Maersk Hangzhou commercial ship.
The US Central Command Center statement said the naval forces in the Red Sea successfully sank three out of the total four boats after receiving a call for help from a nearby merchant ship.
CENTCOM reported no fatalities or injuries to the US military personnel during the operation.
Three Boats Destroyed
The US CENTCOM stated that the US aircraft carriers, USS Eisenhower and GRAVELY, responded to a call for help from a merchant ship that had a shootout with Houthi militants.
Iranian-backed Houthi small boats attack merchant vessel and U.S. Navy helicopters in Southern Red Sea
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 31, 2023
On Dec. 31 at 6:30am (Sanaa time) the container ship MAERSK HANGZHOU issued a second distress call in less than 24 hours reporting being under attack by four Iranian-backed… pic.twitter.com/pj8NAzjbVF
The four boats were launched from Yemen, partially occupied by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
The Houthi militants also fired upon the US personnel, but no one got hurt.
Three out of four boats were destroyed, while the fourth one managed to flee.