2024-01-24T17:03:33+00:00
A-
A
A+
/ The Danish shipping company “Maersk” announced on Wednesday that two ships belonging to its American subsidiary that were crossing the Bab al-Mandab Strait had turned back in the Red Sea after nearby “explosions.”
The company said in a statement, “During the voyage, the two ships reported seeing explosions nearby, while the US Navy accompanying them intercepted several projectiles,” noting that “the US Navy returned the two ships and escorted them to the Gulf of Aden.”
Maersk stated that the two ships were not damaged and their crews were not harmed, and that the US Navy accompanied them during their return to the Gulf of Aden.
Maersk said that the two ships are included in the maritime security and voluntary sea bridge program with the US government, which provides protection for the US Navy during transit through the strait.
The subsidiary Maersk Line Limited operates the US-flagged ships Maersk Detroit and Maersk Chesapeake, and will suspend its shipping traffic in the region until further notice, according to the parent company, Maersk.
The Danish company explained that the ships operated by Maersk Line Limited carry goods belonging to various US government agencies and were able to continue crossing the strait under the protection of the US Navy.
Last week, Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk, said that disruption to global shipping traffic as a result of attacks on ships in the Red Sea may last at least a few months.
Maersk and other large shipping companies have instructed hundreds of commercial ships to stay away from the Red Sea, and sent ships to sail via the longer Cape of Good Hope route after attacks by Houthi militants on ships.