Yemen’s Houthis Attack on Cargo Ship Leaves Two Dead
American officials have confirmed that a recent missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden resulted in the deaths of two and left six others injured. This marks the first fatal assault by the Houthis on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
The targeted ship, named True Confidence and flying the flag of Barbados, had a crew consisting of 20 sailors and three armed guards.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging the crew neglected their warnings.
Despite the Houthis referring to the vessel as an “American ship” in their statement, the owners of True Confidence clarified that it had no current ties to any American entity. The crew included individuals from India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.
The Indian Navy reported another incident on a Liberian-flagged ship named MV MSCSkyII approximately 90 Nm South East of Aden. According to the Indian Navy, the ship was reported on fire due to a drone or missile attack.
This incident follows recent confrontations between the Houthis and US-led coalition warships, including the shooting down of a ballistic missile and three drones fired at the USS Carney destroyer. Additionally, a cargo ship named Rubymar under the Belizean flag sank in the Red Sea after being struck by Houthi missiles, carrying 21 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer.
Despite American and British forces’ counterattacks on the Houthis’ infrastructure and weapons since mid-January, the Houthis have continued their assaults, citing support for Gaza in the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
