A commercial ship was struck by a Houthi missile fired from Yemen as it passed through the Southern Red Sea on Saturday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) has said. It added that two more missiles were shot down by an American destroyer patrolling the area.
The Singapore-flagged containership Maersk Hangzhou, owned and operated by Denmark, signaled at 8:30pm local time that it had been attacked and requested assistance, CENTCOM said on X (formerly Twitter). According to the statement, the vessel remains seaworthy and no injuries have been reported among the crew.
Warships USS Graverly and USS Laboon responded to the call for help, with the former shooting down two ballistic missiles “fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen toward the ships,” the statement said.
Danish shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk announced in mid-December that it was suspending all cargo shipments through the Red Sea due to attacks targeting commercial vessels in the region. However, last week the company said it planned to resume shipping, linking the move to the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG), which was set up to ensure safe passage.
An international naval operation to secure trade in the area was announced by Washington last week, as Houthi attacks have forced major shipping companies to seek alternative routes, disrupting global supply chains. The Red Sea is the entry point for vessels using the Suez Canal, which handles about 12% of global trade.
Saturday’s strike came a day after Denmark announced it would contribute to the US-led OPG, sending a frigate next month.
The Houthis, who control a large part of Yemen’s territory, said they would attack Israeli-linked ships in response to the Israeli bombing and ground invasion of Gaza. Twenty-three ships have been attacked or seized in the Red Sea since November 19, according to CENTCOM.
The Ansar Allah Houthi movement’s political bureau last week denounced the US-led maritime coalition, saying it is “an integral part of the aggression against the Palestinian people, Gaza and the Arab and Islamic nation.” They also accused it of seeking to “militarize the Red Sea for the benefit of the Israeli entity,” according to the Yemeni news agency Saba.