Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea attacked U.S. Navy helicopters before the American aircraft sank several of the rebel-operated boats, the U.S. military said on Sunday.
A commercial cargo vessel, the Maersk Hangzhou, had issued a distress call, saying it was under attack from four Houthi small boats, at around 6:30 a.m. local time (10:30 p.m. ET Saturday), the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. The container ship had issued another distress call within the past 24 hours, the military said.
Helicopters from the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier and the USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class warship, responded to the call, and attempted to communicate with the small boats before the vessels “fired upon the U.S. helicopters with crew served weapons and small arms,” CENTCOM said.
A Seahawk helicopter takes off from a flight deck on May 10, 2019, in the Red Sea. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in the region attacked U.S. Navy helicopters before the aircraft sank several of the rebel-operated boats, the Pentagon said on Sunday. Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Amber Smalley/US Navy via Getty Images
The U.S. helicopters sank three out of the four Houthi small boats, and killed the onboard crew members, according to the U.S. military.
The fourth boat “fled the area,” CENTCOM added. “There was no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment.”
This is a breaking story and will be updated shortly.
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