BREAKING: U.S. Navy Sinks Several Boats In Red Sea

The U.S. Navy announced that it sank three Houthi boats on Sunday after the military personnel on the boats reportedly attempted to board a merchant vessel.

Navy officials say they received a distress call around 6:30 AM from the MAERSK cargo vessel Hangzhou about the small boats attempting to board and commandeer the cargo ship in the Red Sea.

When the Navy responded to the incident, the Houthis reportedly opened fire on American Naval helicopters and the helicopters then returned fire, sinking the boats. U.S. Central Command detailed the incident on Sunday:

“On Dec. 31 at 6:30 am (Sanaa time) the container ship MAERSK HANGZHOU issued a second distress call in less than 24 hours reporting being under attack by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats.

The small boats, originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, fired crew-served and small arms weapons at the MAERSK HANGZHOU, getting to within 20 meters of the vessel, and attempted to board the vessel.

A contract-embedded security team on the MAERSK HANZGHOU returned fire. U.S. helicopters from the USS EISENHOWER (CVN 69) and GRAVELY (DDG 107) responded to the distress call and in the process of issuing verbal calls to the small boats, the small boats fired upon the U.S. helicopters with crew served weapons and small arms.

The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats, and killing the crews. The fourth boat fled the area. There was no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment.”

Iranian-backed Houthi small boats attack merchant vessel and U.S. Navy helicopters in Southern Red Sea

On Dec. 31 at 6:30am (Sanaa time) the container ship MAERSK HANGZHOU issued a second distress call in less than 24 hours reporting being under attack by four Iranian-backed… pic.twitter.com/pj8NAzjbVF

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 31, 2023

Collin Rugg reports: “The container ship, which has the capacity to carry 14,000 containers, is safe. The incident comes just weeks after Houthi rebels took 25 crew members hostage after taking over an ‘Israeli-linked’ cargo ship (video below).”

BREAKING: The United States Navy has sunk three Iranian-backed Houthi rebel boats in the Red Sea who tried boarding a container ship.

The U.S. military reportedly deployed helicopters to destroy the Houthi boats. Three boats were destroyed and one got away.

The container ship,… pic.twitter.com/qGHu6aUGBB

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 31, 2023

US NAVY AND YEMENU HOUTHIS CLASH IN RED SEA

– The Houthis attacked the Maersk container ship in the Red Sea

– ⁠US helicopters attacked Houthi boats

– ⁠The Houthis opened fire on US helicopters

– ⁠3 Houthi boats were sank pic.twitter.com/JvSLuzX89W

— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) December 31, 2023

ABC News provided this response from the Houthis:

In a statement Sunday, the Houthis said they lost 10 group members after U.S. forces fired on their vessels, referring to the engagement as “dangerous behavior” that will have “negative repercussions.”

The group also said it will continue operating in the Red Sea. “The American enemy bears the consequences of this crime and its repercussions,” the group said, in part.

One individual wrote: “This was not self-defense but yet another act of aggressive war perpetrated by the U.S. Here we are again starting another war on behalf of the mercantile interests of a foreign country. America last.”

“Houthi-controlled boats fired at them with crew-served weapons and small arms,”

This was not self-defense but yet another act of aggressive war perpetrated by the 🇺🇸.

Here we are again starting another war on behalf of the mercantile interests of a foreign country.

America… pic.twitter.com/PkmZPl865h

— 🥖🎪 (@503i7) December 31, 2023

CBS News provided some background information:

The Iranian-backed Houthi militant group — which controls large portions of Yemen — has been targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, slaughtering at least 1,200 people and sparking the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.