Cairo, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military command said in a statement on Dec. 31 that the U.S. military sank three Yemeni Houthi warships in the Red Sea.
The statement said that a Singaporean-flagged container ship sailing in the Red Sea sent a distress signal to the US military early on the 31st, saying that four Houthi rebel speedboats tried to approach the freighter to board. The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the destroyer USS Graveley sent a number of *** to help.
After the US military *** arrived at the scene, it issued a warning to the Houthi speedboat, and the armed men on board opened fire on ***. The U.S. military then sunk three speedboats at the speedboat**, and the other speedboat fled the scene.
The Houthis have not yet responded to this matter.
Denmark's Maersk Line Group issued a statement on the 31st, confirming that one of the company's cargo ships was attacked by armed men in the Red Sea, and will suspend all its cargo ships through the Red Sea again in the next 48 hours.
Since the outbreak of the new Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Yemen's Houthi rebels have repeatedly attacked targets in Red Sea waters using missiles and drones. The Houthis said that all ships owned or operated by Israeli companies, or flying the Israeli flag, would be "legitimate targets" for the group.
The Red Sea route is an important part of the world's maritime routes, and Houthi attacks have led a number of international shipping companies to announce the suspension of the Red Sea route in favor of a bypass to the southern tip of Africa. On the 19th of this month, the United States announced that it would take the lead in forming a multinational force to carry out escort missions. (ENDS).