US Navy helicopters sank three Houthi boats in the Red Sea after gunmen on board attacked them.
"At 6:30 a.m. (10:30 a.m. Hanoi time), the Maersk Hangzhou made its second distress call in less than 24 hours to report being attacked by four Houthi boats," the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on December 31.
According to CENTCOM, four boats moved about 20 meters away from the container ship Maersk Hangzhou, gunmen used small arms to attack the ship and tried to board the vehicle. The private security team on the Maersk Hangzhou returned fire at the gunmen.
"Helicopters from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gravely responded to the call from the Maersk Hangzhou. When the warning was issued, the boats opened fire on the US helicopters," CENTCOM said.
"US Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four boats, killing all gunmen on board. The fourth fled the area. There were no US personnel or equipment losses," CENTCOM said in a statement.
An MH-60R helicopter takes off from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Atlantic Ocean in September 2019. Photo: US Navy
Earlier, the Maersk Hangzhou was hit by a missile while transiting the southern Red Sea and requested assistance, which was responded to by the destroyers Gravely and USS Laboon. While assisting the Maersk Hangzhou, the destroyer Gravely shot down two anti-ship missiles launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.
The Houthis have repeatedly attacked ships passing through the Red Sea, claiming they are a show of support for the Palestinians. The attacks have affected shipping lanes through which 12% of global trade passes, prompting the US to create a multinational naval task force to respond.
The Houthis are an Iran-backed armed group that controls much of western Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi warned on December 20 that the group would fight back if attacked by the US.
"We will turn American warships, interests and maritime activities into targets for our missiles, UAVs and military operations," al-Houthi declared.
The White House on December 22 accused Iran of being "deeply involved in planning attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea" carried out by Houthi forces in Yemen.
The White House also said Iran provided drones, missiles and tactical intelligence to the Houthis, allowing them to target cargo ships since the start of the series of attacks in November.
Iranian diplomats later dismissed the White House's accusations, saying the Houthis had their own tools and acted in accordance with their decisions and capabilities. Iranian officials also said Washington had asked Tehran to advise the Houthis not to act against US and Israeli interests in the region.
Location of the Red Sea. Graphics: AFP
Nguyen Tien (According to AFP )
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