Another One
Maersk Ship Hit by Missile in the Red Sea
Mike Schuler December 30, 2023
A Maersk containership has been hit by a missile in the Red Sea, the U.S. has reported.
The U.S. Central Command said the Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhou reported it was struck by a missile while transiting the Southern Red Red Sea at approximately 8:30 p.m. local time on Saturday.
The ship requested assistance and is said to be “seaworthy” with no reported injuries. The USS Gravely and USS Laboon responded to the incident, with the USS Gravely successfully shooting down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired towards the vessels from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.
USS GRAVELY shoots down two anti-ship ballistic missiles while responding to Houthi attack on merchant vessel.
Today at approximately 8:30 p.m. (Sanaa time), the container ship MAERSK HANGZHOU reported that they were struck by a missile while transiting the Southern Red Sea. The… pic.twitter.com/nUgifhkdC8
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 31, 2023
The incident comes has Maersk has been resuming transits through the Red Sea with the establishment of the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) naval coalition, while some other carriers have opted to continue to reroute ships around the Cape of Good Hope due to safety concerns as the Iran-backed Houthis have continued to carry out missile attacks against commercial shipping.
The Maersk Hangzhou is a 15,226-capacity containership owned and operated by Danish shipping company Maersk, the world’s second-largest ocean carrier.
Maersk suspended transits through the Red Sea back on December 15 a day after a near-miss missile attack on the Maersk Gibraltar near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The announcement by Maersk led to other operators also suspending voyages and redirecting ships around the Cape of Good Hope. Since then about half of the containerships that typically travel through the region have been rerouted.
The Central Command said the incident the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since the November 19 hijacking of the Galaxy Leader car carrier, which continues by be held in Yemeni waters.
https://gcaptain.com/maersk-ship-hit-by-missile-in-the-red-sea/