US Navy helicopters have destroyed three Houthi boats in a firefight following an attempted hijacking in the Red Sea.
The helicopters opened fire on a group of four boats belonging to the Iran-backed Yemeni group after they attacked a Maersk container ship and attempted to board it, according to a statement from US Central Command.
The United States intervened after responding to a distress call sent out by the Singapore-flagged Hangzhou at 6.30am local time, the statement added.
There was no damage to US personnel or equipment during the incident, Centcom said, adding that its forces fired “in self defence”.
Houthi fighters had shot at the helicopters that were dispatched from the USS Dwight D Eisenhower and USS Gravely aircraft carriers. The fourth boat fled the area.
The call for help was the Hangzhou’s second in less than 24 hours, following an initial appeal after it was struck by a Houthi missile the previous evening.