US military: Chinese ship hit by Houthi missile.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on March 24th that the Chinese-owned and operated Panamanian-flagged Huang Pu had sent out a distress signal but did not request assistance. There were no casualties in the incident, and the ship continued its voyage.

The Houthi rebels began attacking Israeli-linked cargo ships transiting the Red Sea in November 2023. They described this as an act of solidarity with the 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza.

Houthi forces stand guard during a protest march against the US and Israel in the capital Sanaa (Yemen) on January 19. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

According to CENTCOM and the UK Maritime Transport Organization (UKMTO), a fire broke out on the Huang Pu after the attack, but it was extinguished within 30 minutes.

No one has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on the Huang Pu. Meanwhile, the UKMTO said the incident occurred 23 nautical miles west of Yemen's port of Mokha.

Additionally, CENTCOM accused the Houthi of launching four anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea near Huang Pu, and that a fifth of them struck the ship.

"The Houthis attacked the MV Huang despite previously stating that they would not attack Chinese ships," CENTCOM assessed.

According to CENTCOM, following the attack on the Huang Pu, US forces attacked six Houthi-launched drones, five of which crashed into the Red Sea. The remaining one crashed into Yemeni territory.

The attacks caused insurance costs for ships transiting the Red Sea to skyrocket, leading many carriers to take longer routes around the southern tip of Africa.

Ha Linh (News Report/Times of Israel)

Link: https://baotintuc.vn/the-gioi/quan-doi-my-tau-trung-quoc-trung-ten-lua-cua-houthi-20240324142757737.htm

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