10 Houthis killed in attack on Maersk Hangzhou

USS Gravely shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired towards Maersk Hangzhou [U.S. Navy photo]

Underscoring the continuing threats facing commercial shipping in the Red Sea, U.S. Central Command has reported on two attacks by Houthis on the Maersk Hangzhou containership. In the second, ten Houthis died.

On Saturday, at approximately 8:30 p.m. (Sanaa time), the Maersk Hangzhou reported that it had been struck by a missile while transiting the Southern Red Sea. The Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned/operated vessel requested assistance, and the USS Gravely (DDG 107) and USS Laboon (DDG 58) responded to the ship, which was reportedly seaworthy with no reported injuries.

While responding, the USS Gravely shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen toward the ships.

On December 31 at 6:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) the 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,” says Central Command. “A contract embarked security team on the Maersk Hanzghou returned fire. 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.”

Ten Houthis were killed and two were wounded in the U.S. strike on the boats, Al Arabiya cites a source at Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Hodeida port as saying.

According to Al Arabiya, Maersk is to suspend Red Sea operations for 48 hours.

“In light of the incident — and to allow time to investigate the details of the incident and assess the security situation further — it has been decided to delay all transits through the area for the next 48 hours,” Al Arabiya reports a Maersk statement as saying.