Yemen: “missing and injured” by the Huthi attack on a US merchant ship

Damage suffered a merchant ship of American property in a rebel attack off it. In progress rescue operation for crew members. A US-owned merchant ship was damaged by an attack by Huthi south of Yemen and the forces of the international coalition provide support for this, British naval security agency UKMTO said. The ship flying the flag of Barbados, an American vessel, was hit by the so-called Yemeni “War Navy”, controlled by the Huthi rebels, and ordered to change its course, British insurance company Ambrey said for its part. “Ambrey noticed an Indian PN military ship sailing nearby from the last known location of that ship (…) Further reports state that search and rescue operations are ongoing,” he said, adding that crew members boarded a lifeboat. The incident occurred about 57 nautical miles southwest of the port of Aden in southern Yemen, he said. According to a US defence official, smoke was coming out of a dry cargo ship flying the Barbados flag, the “True Confidence”, off the southern coast of Yemen near Aden. The official, who requested anonymity, told Reuters that a rescue boat was also seen at sea near the ship, without giving more details. A naval source has stated that three crew members of that ship are missing and four others have suffered severe burns. The source, which refused to be named, added that the ship appears to have been abandoned. Insurgents Huthi in Yemen have launched drones and missiles against ships in the Red Sea, Strait Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden since November. They say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians about the war Israel has waged against the Gaza Strip after the multi-blooded attack of the Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas in southern Israel on 7 October 2023.