One of the commercial ships attacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea (French)
US Central Command said on Thursday that 3 sailors were killed in a missile attack launched by the Houthis on a Greek commercial ship yesterday, Wednesday, vowing to hold the Houthis accountable, while the Houthis reiterated that they only target Israeli ships or those heading to Israeli ports.
The US Central Command added that the attack launched by the Houthis also wounded at least 4 crew members and caused severe damage to the ship.
She added that the US military carried out air strikes yesterday, Wednesday, against two drones in an area controlled by the Houthis in Yemen after they "posed an imminent threat to commercial ships and US Navy ships in the region."
The United States vowed to hold the Houthis accountable for the strike that led to the death of 3 sailors, stressing that the strikes to weaken the Houthis’ capabilities would be long-term.
Filipinos killed
The Philippine Ministry of Migrant Workers also announced that two of those killed in the attack on the Greek ship were its nationals, and said that two other Filipinos were seriously injured in the attack.
For its part, the British Maritime Trade Operations Authority stated that it had received a report of an accident 54 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni coastal city of Aden, adding that the crew members had abandoned the ship and that it was no longer under command.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, which caused a fire to break out on the Greek-owned ship "True Confidence."
The Greek company operating the True Confidence ship said that an Indian warship transported all 20 crew members, including 3 armed guards, to Djibouti.
"We warn the ships first."
For his part, the official spokesman for the Houthis, Muhammad Abdel Salam, stressed that they do not target any ship without warning it not to cross, saying that Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine are targeted only for the purpose of pressuring Israel to stop the aggression and siege of Gaza.
He added that the world should not fall for what he called "misleading America" and forget the genocidal crimes committed by Israel against the people of Gaza, with full American support, as he put it.
The Houthi spokesman blamed the Americans and the British for the repercussions of their “militarization” in the Red Sea.
The attack on the Greek merchant ship is the first attack that resulted in deaths in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November in a campaign of solidarity with the Palestinians in the Israeli aggression on Gaza, while Britain and the United States are launching attacks on the Houthis in response to targeting the ships.
Source: Agencies