US Navy helicopters sank three of four small boats used by Houthi rebels to attack a merchant vessel in the southern Red Sea, US central command (Centcom) said on social media platform X.

Helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely, responding to distress calls from the Maersk Hangzhou , returned fire on the Houthi boats in self-defence and sank three of the vessels with no survivors. The fourth boat fled the area, Reuters reports.