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The “True Confidence” in Italy in March
Photo: Dario Bonazza / REUTERS
The Houthis have again attacked a cargo ship off the coast of Yemen.
A merchant ship was hit and damaged by a missile 54 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port city of Aden, said UKMTO, the British Navy's body responsible for merchant shipping safety.
The freighter is the “True Confidence”.
The ship was hit by a missile, according to the freighter's Liberia-based owner and Greek operator.
There were 20 sailors and three armed security guards on board.
There is no information about what happened to them.
The burning freighter is floating in the sea.
According to US officials and the British Embassy, at least two people are believed to have died.
There are said to be more injuries.
US officials said smoke was rising from the ship and a lifeboat was spotted nearby.
The Indian Navy and a US Navy ship provided assistance.
Houthi militia claims responsibility
A Houthi militia spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack in a recorded message, according to the AP.
The ship burst into flames due to rocket fire.
The attacks would only stop when the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip ends.
In the past few weeks and months, the militia has repeatedly targeted civilian merchant ships.
The freighter “Rubymar,” which was loaded with fertilizer, sank after being hit by rockets.
Most recently, important submarine cables in the Red Sea were cut, disrupting data traffic between Europe and Asia.
The Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with the Islamist Hamas in Gaza and are directing their attacks on freighters with alleged connections to Israel, the USA or Great Britain.
They recently announced that they would intensify their attacks.
One of the most important shipping routes for world trade runs along Yemen, through which freighters from the Indian Ocean reach the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal in Egypt.
In response to the attacks, the USA and Great Britain carried out several military strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen.
The EU has also begun a military operation to protect merchant shipping in the Red Sea, in which Germany is participating with the frigate “Hessen”.
slü/dpa/Reuters/AP