US Navy helicopters destroy three Houthi pirate boats in Red Sea

US Navy helicopter from the USS Eisenhower that responded to a distress call destroyed small Houthi boats whose crews attempted to board a Danish container ship in the Red Sea.

American military officials said four vessels from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen fired upon the Maersk Hangzhou and got within several yards of the ship before helicopters from nearby US warships responded to a distress call and, after being fired upon, sank three boats “in self-defense.”

The crews were killed and the fourth boat fled the area.

The US Navy said it was fired upon when responding to a distress call from the Maersk Hangzhou, resulting in the sinking of three Houthi boats and the death of their crews.

A Houthi spokesperson said the vessel had refused to respond to warning calls, and that 10 of its group members were dead or missing after the incident.

In a statement on Sunday, the Houthi group said the boats were performing tasks aimed at “establishing security and stability and protecting maritime navigation”.

In addition, they said the boats were “performing their humanitarian and moral duty… to prevent Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine from passing through the Red Sea”.

AP Moller-Maersk A/S halted transit through the Red Sea after the attack by Houthi rebels on one of its ships led to a significant escalation of tensions in the vital waterway.

The world’s No. 2 container line is suspending all Red Sea transit for 48 hours to assess the security situation.

Helicopters from two US warships – the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely – shot at the “Iranian-backed Houthi small boats” in self-defense on Sunday morning while responding to an SOS call from the Singapore-flagged vessel Maersk Hangzhou, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.