Huhtis hit Danish freighter - US Navy fends off missiles
Attacks on civilian shipping continue in the Red Sea. A Danish freighter is hit and calls the US military for help. According to the army, the ships are then attacked again. A destroyer is able to fend off two missiles.
In the Red Sea, rebels from Yemen may have directly attacked a US Navy ship for the first time. The military was able to fend off the attack, as reported by the U.S. Central Command on Platform X. The attack was carried out with two anti-ship missiles after the Navy responded to a call for help from a container freighter in the southern Red Sea.
It was also reported that the "Maersk Hangzhou", owned by the Danish shipping company Maersk, had previously reported an attack on itself and asked for help. According to the report, the Singapore-flagged freighter had been hit by a missile. It is reportedly still seaworthy and there were no casualties, according to the US military. Maersk had only recently announced its intention to resume its voyages in the region, but did not give a specific date.
During its mission, the destroyer "USS Gravely" then shot down two missiles that had been fired at the ships from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. By the U.S. military's count, this was the 23rd attack on ships in the region since November 19. The U.S. Central Command - Centcom for short - is the regional command of the U.S. military responsible for the region.
Since the start of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas in the Gaza Strip at the beginning of October, the Houthi militia has repeatedly attacked ships off the coast of Yemen. The aim of the Houthi is to use their attacks to force an end to the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip. They see themselves as part of the self-proclaimed "Axis of Resistance" directed against Israel. In addition to Hamas, this also includes the Shiite Islamist Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
The Red Sea is a central trade route through which up to twelve percent of global trade passes. Yemen is located on the Bab-al-Mandeb strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. To protect merchant shipping, the USA announced the formation of an international military coalition. According to the US, more than 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, France, the Netherlands and Norway, are participating in the initiative known as "Operation Prosperity Guardian".
Just a few days ago, Denmark pledged to support the military alliance with a frigate. "We are concerned about the serious situation in the Red Sea, where unprovoked attacks on civilian shipping continue," said Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen. The parliament in Copenhagen is due to vote on a government proposal in January.
Germany is not yet involved, but according to the German government is open to an EU protection mission for merchant ships in the Red Sea. Discussions are currently underway in Brussels. Meanwhile, Spain, as the current EU Council Presidency, rejects an expansion of the EU naval mission "Atalanta" to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia. According to the government, Germany is still examining the question of possible participation in the US-led mission.
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The Red Sea freighter, unfortunately, became a target again, this time being the "Maersk Hangzhou". Despite being struck by a missile, the freighter managed to stay afloat and there were no casualties, as reported by the US military. The US Navy responded to the distress call and the destroyer "USS Gravely" successfully intercepted and destroyed two missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.
Source: www.ntv.de
