US downs Houthi boats, kills 10 militants following Red Sea attack

Yemen’s Houthi group on Sunday (December 31, 2023) stated 10 of its fighters had been killed by US naval forces within the Red Sea whereas they had been making an attempt to hijack a industrial ship in worldwide waters.

Houthi army spokesman Yahya Sarea stated in a press release broadcast reside by the group’s al-Masirah TV that the US forces attacked three boats belonging to the Houthi rebels, Xinhua reported.

He stated the rebels had been “performing their humanitarian and ethical responsibility” to stop Israel-related ships from passing by the Red Sea, “in solidarity and help for the Palestinian folks”.

The spokesman stated the US “bears the implications of this crime,” and that the “army actions within the Red Sea to guard Israeli ships is not going to forestall Yemen (Houthi militia) from performing its humanitarian responsibility in help of Palestine and Gaza”.

The Houthi official additionally acknowledged that the insurgent group focused the cargo ship “with applicable naval missiles”, with out saying whether or not the missiles hit the goal.

Earlier within the day, the US Central Command stated its naval forces responded to a misery name from a service provider boat within the Red Sea reporting being beneath a Houthi attack, sinking three Houthi boats and killing all their crews.

The Singapore-flagged “container ship MAERSK HANGZHOU issued a second misery name in lower than 24 hours reporting being beneath attack by 4 Iranian-backed Houthi small boats … originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen”, the US Central Command wrote on X.

The Houthi militants fired “small arms weapons on the MAERSK HANGZHOU, attending to inside 20 meters of the vessel, and tried to board the vessel”, it stated.

“U.S. helicopters from the united statesEISENHOWER (CVN 69) and GRAVELY (DDG 107) responded to the misery name and within the technique of issuing verbal calls to the small boats, the small boats fired upon the U.S. helicopters. The U.S. Navy helicopters returned hearth in self-defense, sinking three of the 4 small boats and killing the crews. The fourth boat fled the realm,” it added.

“There was no injury to U.S. personnel or gear,” the US Central Command famous.

Hours earlier, the US Central Command stated the container ship reported that it was struck by a missile whereas transiting.