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
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.
US sanctions network financing Houthi Red Sea shipping attacks
The USS Gravely and USS Laboon responded to the call for help, and the Denmark-owned vessel was reportedly seaworthy and no injuries were noted, the statement added.
“This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since November 19,” Centcom said.
The crew is reportedly safe, Maersk said.
Maersk to resume Red Sea operations under US-led military protection
Maersk, alongside other shipping companies, had initially suspended operations in the Red Sea following increasing attacks on commercial vessels by Yemen’s Houthis in support of Hamas in Gaza.
Only this week did the company resume shipping via the Red Sea following the establishment of a US-led naval alliance to protect ships in the area.
In another statement, Centcom said the same ship issued an additional distress call about a second attack “by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats”. The attackers fired small arms weapons at the Maersk Hangzhou, getting to within 20 metres (65 feet) of the vessel.
A contract-embarked security team on the ship returned fire, the central command said. US helicopters from the USS Dwight D Eisenhower aircraft carrier and Gravely responded to the distress call and while issuing verbal warnings to the attackers, the small boat crews opened fire on the helicopters using small arms, the statement said.
“The US Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defence,” sinking three of the four boats, killing the crews while the fourth boat fled the area, Centcom said, and no damage to US personnel or equipment was reported.
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Yemen’s Houthi fighters behind Red Sea attacks threaten to disrupt global trade
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. They say their attacks aim to end Israel’s air-and-ground offensive targeting the Gaza Strip following the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7.
On Saturday, the top commander of US naval forces in the Middle East said Houthi rebels have shown no signs of ending their “reckless” attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, even as more nations join the international maritime mission to protect vessels in the vital waterway and trade traffic begins to pick up.
Since the Pentagon announced Operation Prosperity Guardian to counter the attacks just over 10 days ago, 1,200 merchant ships have travelled through the Red Sea region, and none has been hit by drone or missile strikes, Vice-Admiral Brad Cooper said.
