Two sailors died and six were injured in a Houthi missile attack on MV True Confidence, a Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged freighter about 90 km off the coast of Aden on Wednesday. They were the first fatalities since the Iran-backed Houthis launched strikes against shipping in the region to protest Israel’s war in Gaza. The crew abandoned the sinking ship, and navy vessels from a US-led international maritime coalition were conducting search and rescue operations.
The bulk carrier, ferrying a cargo of steel products and trucks from Lianyungang, China to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, had a crew of 20, comprising one Indian, four Vietnamese and 15 Filipino nationals, as well as three armed guards – two from Sri Lanka and one from Nepal.
“The targeting operation came after the ship’s crew rejected warning messages from the Yemeni naval forces,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech, claiming responsibility for the attack.
“At least 2 innocent sailors have died. This was the sad but inevitable consequence of the Houthis recklessly firing missiles at international shipping. They must stop,” said the British Embassy in Yemen in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Our deepest condolences are with the families of those that have died and those that were wounded.”
At least 2 innocent sailors have died. This was the sad but inevitable consequence of the Houthis recklessly firing missiles at international shipping.
They must stop.
Our deepest condolences are with the families of those that have died and those that were wounded. https://t.co/m1chfLddHR
— BritishEmbassySanaa (@UKinYemen) March 6, 2024
These attacks continue despite targeted strikes on Houthi assets by US and British ships and planes in the region. On Tuesday, a ballistic missile and three drones launched from Yemen at the destroyer USS Carney were shot down by US forces. A day before that, the Indian Navy helped douse a fire on board MSC Sky II, a container vessel that was hit by a missile, which set off a small fire. And on Sunday, MV Rubymar, a Belize-flagged cargo ship, sank in the Red Sea two weeks after being hit by Houthi missiles. The crew was rescued, but the ship — carrying a cargo of 21 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser –sank off the Yemen coast, sparking fears of an environmental disaster.
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They were the first fatalities since the Iran-backed Houthis launched strikes against shipping in the region
