Houthis strike US-owned ship, killing two — RT World News

Eight people were injured, two fatally, when Yemeni missiles hit the merchant ship True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden, the US military said on Wednesday. The crew was forced to abandon the ship, which was in danger of sinking.

The Houthis, who call themselves the Yemeni government, began targeting ships linked to Israel in late October, in protest against the military operation against Palestinians in Gaza. These ships added American and British ships in January, after the two countries launched air and missile strikes on Yemen.

The Houthis' military spokesman, Yahya Saree, confirmed the attack on Wednesday evening, saying real trust had been struck “After the ship's crew ignored warning messages from the Yemeni naval forces.”

He added: “The strike was accurate, thanks to God, which led to a fire breaking out on board the ship.” Sari said.

He also warned all ships “To respond to the calls of the Yemeni naval forces, all crews of the targeted ships must leave quickly after the first strike.”

Two True Confidence crew members were killed and six others were wounded in multiple missile strikes, according to two Pentagon officials who spoke to the press on condition of anonymity. They added that there were no Americans on board the plane.

A nearby Indian warship received a crew of 23 who evacuated the cargo ship. US officials described true trust as… “Damaged but not sunk yet.”

Marine tracking showed real confidence as it approached the Bab al-Mandab Strait on Tuesday evening before turning sharply towards the Gulf of Aden. The vessel was registered in Liberia, a convenient mark for commercial vessels, but its owner was reported to be US-based multinational Oaktree Capital Management LLC.

Earlier this week, the British-owned bulk carrier Rubimare sank in the Gulf of Aden, nearly two weeks after it was struck by Houthi missiles and evacuated. This was the first ship sunk by the Houthis since the beginning of their campaign.

Most Western shipping companies have redirected their traffic around Africa in response to the Houthi attacks, resulting in higher insurance premiums.

The Houthis initially fired only warning shots at ships owned by or headed toward Israel. They expanded the targeting list in mid-January, after the first US-British strikes. Undeterred, the Yemeni group announced that it would end its operations only when Israel stopped attacking Gaza.