U.S. Navy helicopters on Sunday sunk three Houthi boats, killing their crews, after the terrorists attempted to hijack a commercial vessel and were fired on in response to the besieged container ship’s distress call.
“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 Houthi small boats. 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. A contract embarked security team on the MAERSK HANZGHOU returned fire,” Central Command (Centcom) outlined in an issued statement.
“U.S. helicopters from the USS EISENHOWER (CVN 69) and GRAVELY (DDG 107) responded to the distress call and in the process of issuing verbal calls to the small boats, the small boats fired upon the U.S. helicopters with crew served weapons and small arms. 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,” Centcom said.
Iranian-backed Houthi small boats attack merchant vessel and U.S. Navy helicopters in Southern Red Sea
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
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 31, 2023
It is the first time that the U.S. military has killed Houthi crews in response to attack on commercial vessels and U.S. ships in the Red Sea since they began in October. There have been at least 23 attacks by the Houthis on commercial vessels since then, with some of them causing damage.
Prior to this, the U.S. Navy had shot down drones and missiles fired from Houthi areas in Yemen, but had not engaged directly with Houthi forces. It appears to be the first time Houthi forces fired on U.S. Navy helicopters, and Pentagon officials have maintained that the U.S. military has the right to self-defense.
The U.S. Navy’s counterstrike came after widespread criticism that the Biden administration’s attempt to stand up an international coalition to deter the Houthis from attacks in the Red Sea was failing.
Troubled Waters for U.S.-led Red Sea Task Force as Biden Call Ignored https://t.co/eDppwFGUxQ
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 29, 2023
Despite the announcement of the coalition, the Houthis continued their attacks and commercial shippers were still wary of sending ships through the Red Sea and using an alternate, and longer route.
Furthermore, U.S. allies were reluctant to join the coalition, or reluctant to dedicate any ships or many personnel to it.
In recent days, Centcom had begun stating Houthis were targeting U.S. ships.
Worth noting this is the first time the American DoD has admitted a US warship was the intended target of a Houthi drone/missile attack. They have studiously avoided doing so in previous attacks. https://t.co/uvW4G8yQ23 pic.twitter.com/3uVXCdwLV6
— Patrick Fox (@RealCynicalFox) December 24, 2023
For weeks prior, the Pentagon had claimed the Houthis’ intended targets were unclear, and appeared reluctant to say whether Houthi forces were targeting U.S. ships.
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