November 22, 2024 16:56 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed during encounter with security forces in Sukma | Baba Siddique murder case: Arrested Akashdeep Gill used a labourer's hotspot to evade tracking, say police | Donald Trump picks 'smart and tough' Pam Bondi as new US Attorney General after Matt Gaetz withdraws | Canadian government denies media report that claims PM Modi knew of Khalistani leader Nijjar's killing | PM Modi bestowed Dominica's highest award at India-CARICOM Summit
US downs Houthi boats following Red Sea attack, 10 rebels killed
Houthi
Yemen's Houthi group says 10 of its fighters were killed by U.S. naval forces in the Red Sea Photo Courtesy: US Central Command X Page

US downs Houthi boats following Red Sea attack, 10 rebels killed

| @indiablooms | 01 Jan 2024, 06:12 pm

Yemen's Houthi group on  Sunday (December 31, 2023) said 10 of its fighters were killed by U.S. naval forces in the Red Sea while they were trying to hijack a commercial ship in international waters.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement broadcast live by the group's al-Masirah TV that the U.S. forces attacked three boats belonging to the Houthi rebels, Xinhua reported.

He said the rebels were "performing their humanitarian and moral duty" to prevent Israel-related ships from passing through the Red Sea, "in solidarity and support for the Palestinian people."

The spokesman said the U.S. "bears the consequences of this crime," and that the "military movements in the Red Sea to protect Israeli ships will not prevent Yemen (Houthi militia) from performing its humanitarian duty in support of Palestine and Gaza."

The Houthi official also stated that the rebel group targeted the cargo ship "with appropriate naval missiles," without saying whether the missiles hit the target.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. Central Command said its naval forces responded to a distress call from a merchant boat in the Red Sea reporting being under a Houthi attack, sinking three Houthi boats and killing all their crews.

The Singapore-flagged "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 ... originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen," the U.S. Central Command wrote on the social media platform X.

The Houthi militants fired "small arms weapons at the MAERSK HANGZHOU, getting to within 20 meters of the vessel, and attempted to board the vessel," it said.

"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. 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," it added.

"There was no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment," the U.S. Central Command noted.

Hours earlier, the U.S. Central Command said the container ship reported that it was struck by a missile while transiting.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Related Images
Xi Jinping, Putin in Russia 22 Mar 2023, 02:56 pm
Related Videos