AFP: US Navy helicopters fired on Iran-backed Huthi rebels attempting to board a cargo ship off Yemen Sunday, the military said, with the rebels reporting 10 fighters dead or missing.
The clash in the Red Sea marked a deadly escalation since the United States set up a multinational naval task force in early December to protect the vital shipping lane against attacks by the Huthis, who control the Yemeni capital Sanaa and much of the country’s Red Sea coast. The rebels — who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza — have repeatedly fired drones and missiles at passing ships in the seaway through which 12 percent of global trade passes.
US Central Command said the navy had responded to a distress call from the Maersk Hangzhou, a Danish-owned container ship that reported coming under attack for a second time in 24 hours while transiting the Red Sea.