The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) says that on March 23, the Iranian-backed Houthis launched four anti-ship ballistic missiles at merchant vessel Huang Pu, a Panamanian-flagged, Chinese-owned, Chinese-operated oil tanker in the Red Sea.
"At 4:25 p.m., a fifth ballistic missile was detected as fired toward M/V Huang Pu. The ship issued a distress call but did not request assistance. M/V Huang Pu suffered minimal damage, and a fire on board was extinguished within 30 minutes. No casualties were reported, and the vessel resumed its course," the statement reads.
The command also informed that between 6:50 and 9:50 a.m., US forces, including the destroyer USS Carney, were attacked by six Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles in the southern part of the Red Sea. Five of them fell into the sea, while one flew into Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Centcom believes these UAVs "presented an imminent threat to US, coalition, and merchant vessels in the region."
MARCH 23 RED SEA UPDATE
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 24, 2024
From 2:50 to 4:30 a.m. (Sanaa time)
March 23, the Iranian-backed Houthis launched four anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) into the Red Sea in the vicinity of M/V Huang Pu, a Panamanian-flagged, Chinese-owned, Chinese-operated oil tanker.
At 4:25 p.m.… pic.twitter.com/n1RwYdW87E
