US Kills Houthi Rebels After Attack on Maersk Ship in the Red Sea
* Houthis shot at US Navy helicopters, prompting return fire
* Maersk to halt vessel transit through Red Sea for 48 hours

The US Navy killed crew members of three Houthi boats that launched an attack on a Maersk container ship in the Red Sea, marking a significant escalation in tensions in one of the world’s most vital waterways.

A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S said it was suspending all further transit through the Red Sea for 48 hours to investigate the attacks and further assess the security situation.

It comes amid US efforts to reassure shipping companies that a multinational force is making it safe to sail through the Red Sea and Suez Canal even as Yemen-based Houthi rebels show no signs of stopping attacks.

[BEEGE UPDATE: And here’s the un-paywalled Times of Israel report, plus I’ve got the CentCom tweet loaded.

Okay – as this is Bloomberg it’s no doubt paywalled BUT. As it was also the very first report I could get my hands on after Ebola sent me the heads up, I wanted you all to know. It’s about damn time we got some. I hope it’s a start, not a one-off ~ Beege]

Iranian-backed Houthi small boats attack merchant vessel and U.S. Navy helicopters in Southern Red Sea

On Dec. 31 at 6:30am (Sanaa time) the container ship MAERSK HANGZHOU issued a second distress call in less than 24 hours reporting being under attack by four Iranian-backed… pic.twitter.com/pj8NAzjbVF

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 31, 2023