Maersk halts Red Sea shipping again after US forces shoot down missiles in attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels

Hours after the US military shot down two anti-ship missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels towards a container ship, four boats tried to attack the same ship

US forces opened fire and killed several of the armed attackers, and no one was injured on the container ship

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Newly-recruited members of the Houthis’ popular army hold up weapons during a parade in Sana’a, Yemen. The Iran-backed Houthis have claimed attacks on ships in the Red Sea that they say are either linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 6:27pm, 31 Dec 2023Updated: 7:47pm, 31 Dec 2023

Dutch shipping giant Maersk is suspending shipping through the Red Sea again, after one of its freighters was attacked twice in 24 hours by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

All transits are to be suspended for 48 hours to investigate the incident and assess the security situation, the company said on Sunday.

Maersk confirmed that the Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhou container ship was hit by an object on Saturday evening after it had passed the Bab al-Mandab Strait en route from Singapore to Port Suez, Egypt.

The ship was initially able to continue on its course before four boats later approached the vessel, opened fire and attempted to board it. The attack was successfully repelled with the help of a military helicopter and the ship’s security team, the statement added.

The US military said on Sunday it shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired towards a container ship by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. Hours later, four boats tried to attack the same ship, but US forces opened fire, killing several of the armed crews, the US Central Command (Centcom) said. No one was injured on the ship.