The US Navy shot down two missiles fired by the Houthis on the US-flagged container ship M/V Maersk Detroit, which was operating in the Gulf of Aden at the time, according to US military officials.
The two officials said that the USS S Gravelli, which was nearby at the time, shot down two missiles and the third fell into the water.
The Maersk/Detroit M/V was moving with the Chesapeake at the time of the missile attacks, according to a Maersk statement. The two ships returned from their scheduled voyage after experiencing “explosions” on their way toward the Red Sea, on Wednesday, according to the company.
The two ships are registered in the US Maritime Security Program. It was scheduled to transit the Bab al-Mandeb Strait as part of a scheduled US Navy escort.
En route, both ships reported seeing explosions nearby, and the US Navy escort also intercepted multiple projectiles, Maersk said in a statement shared with CNN. The crew, ship and cargo were safe and unharmed.”
Following the explosions, the US Navy returned the two ships and escorted them to the Gulf of Aden, according to Maersk.