On Wednesday, a missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck a bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden. The ship’s crew reported three fatalities and at least four injuries, according to the US military. These casualties mark the first deaths resulting from the Houthis’ attacks on merchant vessels navigating the crucial Red Sea trade route.
An anti-ship ballistic missile struck the Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned M/V True Confidence, after which its crew reported “three fatalities, at least four injuries, of which three are in critical condition, and significant damage to the ship”, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.
“The crew abandoned the ship and coalition warships responded and are assessing the situation,” it said, noting that the attack was the fifth time the Houthis had launched an anti-ship ballistic missile in two days.
“These reckless attacks by the Houthis have disrupted global trade and taken the lives of international seafarers,” CENTCOM said.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated on social media that the vessel True Confidence came under attack from multiple missiles. This occurred after the ship’s crew disregarded warning messages issued by the Houthis.
CENTCOM said several hours after the True Confidence was hit that it had carried out strikes against “two unmanned aerial vehicles in a Houthi controlled area of Yemen that presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships”.
“These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels,” it said in a separate statement without elaborating.
In response to the ship attacks, the United States and Britain have repeatedly targeted Houthi installations in Yemen since January. Despite these strikes, the rebels persist in attacking merchant vessels.
In Sanaa the British embassy reported that at least two people lost their lives on board the vessel True Confidence. This tragic loss of life is attributed to the reckless Houthi missile strikes on international shipping.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron promised that “we will continue to stand up for freedom of navigation and back our words with actions”.
The Houthis began attacking ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea in November, a campaign they say is intended to signal solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The Houthi rebels have explicitly threatened to target Israeli, British, and American ships, along with vessels bound for Israeli ports. Their actions have disrupted maritime traffic along the crucial trade route near Yemen’s coast.
Recently, a Belize-flagged ship operated by a Lebanese crew sank on Saturday, carrying a substantial cargo of 21,000 metric tonnes of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer.
The vessel, named the Rubymar, began to fill with water after being struck by a Houthi missile on February 18. The impact damaged its hull, necessitating the evacuation of its crew to Djibouti.
As a result of the intensified Houthi attacks, several prominent shipping companies have temporarily halted transit through the Red Sea, a critical route that typically handles approximately 12 percent of global trade.
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