The US Navy sank Houthis' boats that attempted to hijack Maersk Cargo

The US Navy destroyed a Houthi "small boat" whose crew attempted to board a container ship in the Red Sea. The US military said that four planes from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen opened fire on Maersk Hangzhou, and came within meters of the plane. 

A helicopter from a nearby American warship responded to the call and opened fire, sinking three boats. The crew was killed and a fourth boat fled the area. 

A Houthi spokesman said that the plane did not respond to warning calls and that 10 members of the group were killed or missing after the accident. Houthi forces have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November, carrying out more than 100 drone and missile attacks on ships crossing the main shipping route. 

Iran-backed Yemeni rebels previously claimed to have attacked aircraft allied with Israel in response to fighting in Gaza. 

The target merchant vessel, Maersk, is registered in Hangzhou, Singapore, and is managed and owned by a Danish company. At 3:30 p.m. Yemen time , four Houthi boats were attacked with loaded weapons and light weapons while their crew was trying to board a container ship 20 meters away. 

Helicopters from two US warships, the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely, responded to a distress call from the command's ship Maersk Hangzhou early Sunday and opened fire on "Iranian-backed Houthi boats" in self-defense. Central United States. Singapore. (Central Command). Central Command said the helicopter "returned fire in self-defense, killing three of the four small boats that sank and their crew." The fourth boat left the "area" without causing any damage to American personnel or equipment.

This is the second attack in Hangzhou within 24 hours, after a plane was targeted on Saturday. Central Command said anti-ship missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled territory, and the destroyers Gravely and Laboon responded. Maersk said the attack occurred at 5:30 p.m. He admitted that his plane “collided with an unknown object,” but said that “there were no signs of fire on board.” Maersk, one of the world's largest shipping companies, suspended shipping through the Red Sea for 48 hours.

The agency began using the road several days ago as the United States and its allies began working to secure shipping in the region. Before this, his ship was sent on a very long way around Cape Bon. 

A US Navy admiral told The Associated Press that Saturday's missile attack was the first successful attack since the global patrol began on December 18. Central Command said that two US Navy ships responded to a distress call and fired two anti-ship missiles from territory controlled by the Houthis. US Central Command announced that the destroyer USS destroyed an incoming ballistic missile in a major attack, the third unlawful Houthi attack on an international ship since November 19. 

Central Command said the ship Maersk Hangzhou was "at sea and there were no casualties on board." Separately, UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an incident in the Red Sea, 55 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah. The agency said that the unidentified plane “caused a large explosion accompanied by a bright flame in the front of the plane,” in addition to several explosions. The statement added that no injuries were reported, and all crew members were declared safe, adding that the plane was evacuated to a nearby port. 

Several shipping companies, including Maersk, in recent weeks have sent ships from the Red Sea rather than sailing through the Horn of Africa as Houthi attacks intensify. To reach Egypt's Suez Canal, which connects to the Mediterranean Sea, ships must pass through the small Bab al-Mandab Strait, located off the coast of Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron told his Iranian counterpart in a statement on Sunday that "Iran bears responsibility for stopping these attacks given its long-term support for the Houthis." US Navy Vice Admiral Brad Cooper said in an interview with the Associated Press that there are no Houthis on the horizon. And how to put an end to their “reckless” attacks in light of the formation of a new naval force to confront them. 

The Red Sea is one of the most important shipping routes in the world, linking Europe to Asian markets. This is also one of the most important ways. Analysts warned that the attacks could lead to higher shipping prices for oil and liquefied natural gas produced in the Middle East.