At least three people were killed in a missile strike by Houthi rebels in Yemen on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, forcing the remaining crew members to flee the ship, according to U.S. authorities.
The Liberian-owned, Barbados-flagged bulk tanker ‘True Confidence’ suffered “significant damage,” according to a statement released by U.S. Central Command on Wednesday afternoon, and three other crew members were critically injured. The incident happened the day after a drone and a missile headed toward the vessel in the neighboring Red Sea were shot down by a U.S. Navy cruiser.
An official for the Houthi group said in a televised statement that “the targeting operation came after the ship’s crew rejected warning messages from the Yemeni naval forces,” as reported by Reuters.
“This is the fifth ASBM fired by Houthis in the last two days,” CENTCOM stated, referring to anti-ship ballistic missiles. “These reckless attacks by the Houthis have disrupted global trade and taken the lives of international seafarers.”
U.S. State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed the death to reporters during a briefing. “We continue to watch these reckless attacks with no regard for the well-being of innocent civilians who are transiting through the Red Sea. And now they have, unfortunately and tragically, killed innocent civilians,” he said.
The USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that has been fighting with the United States against Iran-backed Yemeni rebels, had been attacked by the Houthis on Tuesday.
Since November, the rebels have frequently attacked ‘pro-Israel’ ships in the Red Sea and nearby areas ever since the start of the Gaza conflict.
