US Navy intercepts missiles in Red Sea while escorting Maersk ships

Two vessels sailing close to the Gulf of Aden were compelled to seek assistance from the US navy following the detection of nearby explosions as the Houthi group persisted in their assault on commercial shipping along the Yemeni coast. The Houthis have asserted that their actions are in solidarity with the Palestinians amid Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. According to The Guardian report, the ships, affiliated with the US arm of the Danish shipping company Maersk, were transporting military supplies for the US when they faced an attack involving three anti-ship missiles near the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The report, citing the US Central Command (Centcom), said two missiles were successfully intercepted, and the third landed in the sea. There was no damage to either the Maersk Detroit or the Maersk Chesapeake, and there were no reported injuries, added the report. “En route, both ships reported seeing explosions close by and the US navy accompaniment also intercepted multiple projectiles. The crew, ship and cargo are safe and unharmed. The US navy has turned both ships around and is escorting them back to the Gulf of Aden,” The Guardian quoted Maersk as saying in a statement. Maersk said its US subsidiary was now suspending Red Sea transits. “The safety of our crews is of utmost importance. Following the escalation of risk, MLL [Maersk Line Limited] is suspending transits in the region until further notice” the spokesperson said. Both commercial vessels carry cargo for the US government and are enrolled in programs run by the defence department to transport forces, supplies and equipment during times of war or national emergency, which is why they were escorted through the strait. Centcom also reported that on Tuesday night it had launched two pre-emptive strikes designed to stop imminent Houthi attacks. Previous attacks last Friday underlined the current inability of the US and UK to neutralise the Houthis despite multiple attacks on their missile sites. With inputs from agencies