Attack in the Red Sea
Huhtis hit Danish freighter – US Navy fends off missiles
December 31, 2023, 3:11 a.m
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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 will then be attacked again. A destroyer can defeat 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 repel the attack, as US Central announced on Platform X. Accordingly, the attack with two anti-ship missiles took place after the Navy responded to a call for help from a container freighter in the southern Red Sea.
It was also said that the “Maersk Hangzhou” of the Danish shipping company Maersk had previously reported an attack on itself and asked for help. Accordingly, the freighter flying the Singapore flag was hit by a missile. The US military said it was reportedly still seaworthy and there were no injuries. Maersk had only recently declared that it wanted to resume its trips in the region, but did not give a specific date.
During its operation, the destroyer “USS Gravely” fired two missiles that were fired at the ships from areas in Yemen controlled by the Houthis. By the US military’s count, this was the 23rd attack on ships in the region since November 19. The US Central Commando – Centcom for short – is the responsible regional command of the US military for the region.
Since the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas in the Gaza Strip began in early October, the Houthi militia has repeatedly attacked ships off the coast of Yemen. The aim of the Houthis 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 world 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 United States announced the formation of an international military coalition. According to the US, more than 20 countries are taking part in the initiative, called “Operation Prosperity Guardian,” including the United Kingdom, Canada, France, the Netherlands and Norway.
Just a few days ago, Denmark agreed 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. In January, Parliament in Copenhagen is due to vote on a government proposal.
Germany has not yet taken part, but according to the federal government it is open to an EU protection operation for merchant ships in the Red Sea. Discussions on this are currently underway in Brussels. Spain, as the current EU Council Presidency, is rejecting an expansion of the EU naval operation “Atalanta” to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia. The government said that Germany is continuing to examine the question of possible participation in the US-led operation.