US forces shoot down ballistic missiles in Red Sea, kill gunmen in attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels

The US military shot down three boats operated by Iran-backed Houthi rebels – killing their crews – after the militants had attempted to attack a Maersk container vessel in Red Sea waters near Yemen early Sunday, officials said.

Helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely warships opened fire at “four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats” – sinking three of them – while responding to an SOS call from the Singapore-flagged vessel Maersk Hangzhou around 6:30 a.m. local time, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

The fourth boat escaped the attack, which officials say was executed in self-defense, about 55 nautical miles southwest of Al Hodeidah, Yemen.