“U.S. Navy helicopters responded to the distress call and engaged with the small boats, sinking three of them and killing the crews.”
The Maersk Hangzhou took a missile in the southern Red Sea, then four Houthi boats tried to board it hours later. Maersk had only just resumed Red Sea transits under Operation Prosperity Guardian after suspending them on December 15. Central Command counts this as the 23rd attack since November 19. The coalition got Maersk back into the Red Sea, and then had to sink boats to get its ship through.