Houthi missile attack on cargo ship kills three crew: US military
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| Photo: Friday News |
3 crew members were killed in a Houthi missile attack on a cargo ship in southern Yemen. US officials say it is the first fatality since the group began attacking commercial ships.
The Barbados-flagged ship True Confidence has been evacuated and is afloat with flames.
The US military says the attack took place in the Gulf of Aden at 11:30 GMT.
The Houthis said the attack was carried out in support of the Palestinians in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which monitors operations in the Middle East, said three of the ship's crew were killed and four others were injured, three of them in critical condition.
"Such reckless attacks by the Houthis have disrupted global trade and claimed the lives of international sailors," the organization said in a post on social media.
In a statement, the Iran-backed group said the sailors of the True Confidence ship had ignored signals from the Houthi navy.
The statement also mentioned that such attacks should stop.
The ship had 20 crew members. Among them are one Indian, four Vietnamese and 15 Filipinos. Besides, there were three armed guards on board, including two Sri Lankans and one Nepalese national.
In a statement, a spokesman for the ship's owners and managers said the attack took place 50 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni city of Aden.
After the attack, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported in a report on Wednesday evening that the United States carried out two airstrikes targeting an international airport in the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port city of Hudaydah.
According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations Organization (UKMTO), True Confidence asked the ship to make a group change of course via VHF radio. The group identified itself as the 'Yemeni Navy'.
They later reported seeing smoke after hearing a loud noise from another ship nearby.
The UKMTO said that True Confidence was attacked and suffered significant damage. Later, the US-led International Maritime Coalition came to their aid.
The EU's Maritime Safety Center Horn of Africa said a rescue operation was underway.
The Houthis said in a statement that the True Confidence is an American ship. But the spokeswoman said the ship "does not currently have any affiliation with any U.S. entity."
A US State Department spokesman said Washington would hold the Houthis accountable for the attack and urged other governments around the world to do the same.
"The Houthis continue to carry out such reckless attacks without regard for the safety of innocent civilians navigating the Red Sea, and they are now unfortunately and tragically killing civilians," said Matthew Miller.
"We condemn the Houthis' reckless and indiscriminate attacks on international shipping and demand that they stop," said UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron.
In a social media post, he said, "We will always stand for freedom of movement and we will take steps to reflect our commitment."
In a statement, the ship's owner and related company officials said the True Confidence ship is owned by True Confidence Shipping SA, which is registered at an address in Liberia. It is operated by a Greek company called Third January Maritime Limited.
According to a report by the news agency AP, this ship was previously owned by a US-based company called Oaktree Capital Management. Oaktree declined to speak to AP for comment.
A spokesman said the ship was traveling from Lianyungang, China to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and was carrying steel products and trucks.
The British Embassy says that such a loss of life was almost inevitable due to the Houthis' drone and missile attacks targeting shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea for the past four months.
The US-led naval task force in the area was shooting down such drones and missiles. But the number of these attacks was so high that it was not possible for them to shoot down every missile.
The Houthis appear to have no shortage of arms supplies. This has raised questions about the effectiveness of US airstrikes targeting Houthi staging areas, ammunition stockpiles and command and control posts.
As Houthi attacks have now become more lethal, targeting them inside Yemen may increase in scope to quell them. However, as a result, there is a risk of further escalation of tensions in the region, which is already vulnerable due to the inhumane situation in Gaza.
The Houthis say that they are carrying out these attacks in support of the Palestinians. The United States, the United Kingdom, Bahrain and several other countries have called for an urgent end to the Houthi attacks on shipping.
US forces shot down a ballistic missile and three drones fired at the USS Carney from Yemen on Tuesday. Then three more anti-ship missiles and three maritime drones were launched.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the Indian Navy assisted in bringing under control the fire of a container ship named MSC Skye. The ship's operators said it was hit by a missile. But no one was injured and the fire was small.
A Belizean-flagged cargo ship named Rubimar sank in the Red Sea on Sunday. The ship was hit by a Houthi missile two weeks ago. It was the first ship to be sunk since the Houthi offensive began last November.
Rubima's ship was near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, when the attack was carried out. All the crew were rescued and the ship slowly sank.
The ship was carrying about 21 thousand metric tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer. The US military says it poses an environmental risk to the Red Sea.
