Another attack on a commercial ship, off the coast of Yemen, has resulted in the loss of 3 crew members lives this week, the first merchant sailors to be killed by the Houthi group during the conflict.
The missile attack on the Greek-operated, Barbados-flagged, ‘True Confidence’ occurred early on Wednesday morning, around 50 nautical miles southwest of the Yemen city of Aden.
US Central Command (Centcom), which oversees operations during the conflict, have confirmed that three crew members were killed and four more were injured, with three being in a critical condition.
Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for the attack, and a spokesperson stated that the crew of the bulk carrier had ignored warnings from Houthi Naval forces. The vessel was abandoned with a fire raging on board.
In other news, the bulk cargo ship ‘Rubymar’, which was also abandoned last month after a missile strike, has sunk this week off the Yemen coast. It is the first vessel to sink since the Houthis started targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea region.
The Rubymar had been drifting and taking on water for days before it eventually submerged. The ship had reportedly been carrying fertilisers and experts fear the sinking could lead to an environmental disaster.
The vessel had been travelling in the Gulf of Aden, near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, when it was hit by two missiles on February 18th, fired by Yemen-based Houthi rebels.
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