3 Seafarers Killed in First Fatal Houthi Missile Attack on a Merchant Ship in the Gulf of Aden

A missile that was fired by the Yemeni Houthi rebels hit a bulk carrier when it was in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, with the members of the crew reporting three individuals lost their lives and at least four were wounded, the US military stated.

Video Credits: FRANCE 24 English

The Iran-supported Houthis have been targeting merchant vessels sailing the important Red Sea trade path for several months. Still, Wednesday’s loss of lives appears to be the first fatalities from such a terrifying attack.

An anti-ship ballistic missile struck the Barbados-flagged M/V True Confidence, after which the crew members reported three fatalities and at least four injuries. Of these, three are in serious condition, and there is massive damage to the vessel, the US Central Command (abbreviated as CENTCOM) mentioned in a statement.

The crew members reportedly abandoned the Liberia-owned vessel, and the coalition war vessels responded and are now assessing this situation, it stated, observing that the attack was the fifth instance when the Houthis launched their anti-ship ballistic missile in two days.

The reckless aggression by the Houthis has been disrupting worldwide trade and taking the lives of international seafarers, per CENTCOM. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, mentioned that True Confidence was targeted with many missiles after its crew members rejected warnings from the Houthis.

The US military strikes, per CENTCOM, came through many hours after the True Confidence got hit. And that it had carried out strikes against two unmanned aerial vehicles in a Houthi-controlled Yemeni area that presented a risk to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships.

The measures are adopted to safeguard freedom of navigation and make international waters safer for the US Navy and merchant vessels, as mentioned in a statement without further information. Britain and the US have been launching repeated attacks on Houthis in Yemen since January this year in response to the attacks on ships. Yet, the rebels have been continuing to target the merchant vessels.

The British embassy based in Sanaa provided the death count on the True Confidence. The number was at least two. It described the loss of life as a sad but unavoidable consequence of the reckless firing of missiles by the Houthis on international shipping. David Cameron, the British Foreign Secretary, has promised they‘ll continue to stand up for the freedom of navigation and back their words with actions.

The Houthis started launching attacks on ships in the waters of the Gulf of Aden as well as the Red Sea in Nov 2023, a campaign they mentioned is intended to show solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. They have pledged to strike British, Israeli, and American vessels, as well as the vessels sailing to Israeli ports, disrupting traffic via the crucial trade route off the shores of Yemen.

The most recent incident comes as a Lebanese-operated, Belize-flagged vessel sank with 21,000 metric tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer on Saturday. The vessel, Rubymar, was taking on water when a Houthi missile attacked on Feb 18, impaired its hull and compelled the evacuation of crew members to Djibouti. Brutal Houthi strikes have resulted in several shipping majors stopping using the Red Sea, which carries nearly 12% of worldwide trade.

Reference: Times Now, Online.UA

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