Yemeni rebels struck the merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday March 6, killing three and injuring at least four. Some of the victims are from the Philippines.
This is the first time the Houthis have carried out a deadly attack. A missile fired from Yemen hit a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday March 6 evening. The anti-ship ballistic missile was launched from territories controlled by these rebels in the country at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula towards the “True Confidence”, a bulk carrier flying the flag of Barbados and controlled by Liberian interests, explained the American command for the Middle East (Centcom) in a press release.
“The missile hit the ship and the crew reported three deaths, at least four injuries, three of whom are in critical condition, and significant damage”, added the army. The Philippine government said in a statement that two of its nationals were killed in the attack and two others “seriously injured”.
In a statement on social media, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that “True Confidence” had been hit by “missiles” After “crew rejection of warning messages”. These Yemeni insurgents, close to Iran, have increased attacks in recent months in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, major maritime passages for world trade. Saying they are targeting ships they consider linked to Israel or its allies, particularly American and British, they claim to be acting in support of Gaza, a Palestinian territory bombed and besieged by Israel.
In a message on X, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he “dismayed” by this attack while the British Embassy for Yemen assured, on the same social network, that this deadly event was “the sad but inevitable consequence” shooting carried out by the Houthis on international ships. The United States announced that it would continue to demand that Houthi rebels surrender “accounts”. “We call on governments around the world to do the same”State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.
Shipping fell by almost 30%
In December, the United States set up a multinational force off the coast of Yemen responsible for protecting commercial ships against attacks by these rebels which have increased in recent months. These insurgents close to Iran have since November targeted ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that they consider linked to Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in the context of the war in the Gaza Strip started in october.
Their attacks have forced many shipowners to suspend passage through these important shipping lanes. According to the International Monetary Fund, container shipping through the Red Sea has fallen by almost 30% in one year. Before the war, between 12 and 15% of global traffic passed through this axis, according to the European Union.
The establishment by the United States of a multinational coalition and the strikes carried out, sometimes with the help of the United Kingdom, against the positions of the Houthis in Yemen have not succeeded in stopping the attacks of the Yemeni rebels, who target now also American and British ships. On Tuesday, the US military said it had shot down a missile and three rebel drones that were targeting a US Navy destroyer in the Red Sea. The day before, the Houthis had attacked a container ship of the Italian-Swiss shipowner MSC, claiming that it was a “Israeli ship”.
Update : this Thursday, March 7 at 8:41 a.m., with the addition of the Philippine press release on the nationality of certain victims, and more details on the facts.