US Navy says it sank 3 Houthi boats attacking merchant vessel

US Navy helicopters sank three Houthi small boats after they attacked and attempted to board the container ship Maersk Hangzhou off the coast of Yemen, the military says.

US Navy helicopters sank three Houthi small boats after they attacked and attempted to board the container ship Maersk Hangzhou off the coast of Yemen, the military says.

Four small boats originating from “Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen” attacked the Maersk Hangzhou with small arms and attempted to board the merchant vessel, according to a statement from CENTCOM on Sunday, which added that a security team on board had returned fire.

CENTCOM said that helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and Gravely responded to the Maersk Hangzhou’s distress call, the second in less than 24 hours, and were fired on by the Houthi boats.

“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,” the statement said, adding that there was “no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment.”

CNN has contacted Maersk for comment on the incident.

Some background: The Houthis, an Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group, have been targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea, claiming the attacks as a means of pressuring Israel to send aid to Gaza.

The spate of attacks forced major shipping companies to pause transit through one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.