1 of 3 | The attack on the Barbados-flagged M/V True Confidence marks the first time the Houthi attacks have claimed lives. Three crewmen were killed and at least four others were injured in the attack, which occurred at about 11:30 a.m. local time. Photo via U.S. Central Command/UPI |
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March 6 (UPI) -- A Houthi attack on a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday killed three people and injured at least four others, according to the U.S. military, marking the first time the Iran proxy militia has claimed lives in its recent strikes.
The Houthis struck the Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned M/V True Confidence at about 11:30 a.m local time, killing three people and injuring at least four others, including three who were listed in critical condition, U.S. Central Command said in a statement, citing the crew. It was earlier reported that six were injured.
The ship suffered "significant damage" and its crew was forced to abandoned the vessel, CENTCOM said.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said the ship was "reported to have been hit and has suffered damage" about 54 nautical miles southwest of Aden, Yemen.
It said a ship in the area had reported hearing a "loud bang" and then seeing a "large plume of smoke."
CENTCOM stated a anti-ship ballistic missile was used in the attack.
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attack, while incorrectly stating True Confidence is an American vessel.
The militants said they do not intend to harm the crews of ships belonging to "enemy countries."
"We ask them not to cross," Houthi spokesman Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti said in a statement on X. "American and Britain's insistence on the continuation of genocide in Gaza, the starvation of its population and its aggression against Yemen is what led to this dangerous escalation."
The Houthi armed forces said in a separate statement that it attacked the vessel after its crew rejected its warnings.
The Houthis have been attacking commercial as well as U.S. and British military ships transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since Nov. 19 when it hijacked the Galaxy Leader vessel and kidnapped its 25-member crew.
Houthis claim the attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinian people amid Israel's war against Hamas, another Iran proxy militia, which began Oct. 7.
Since January, the United States and its allies have vowed to protect the important trade route and have responded with small- and large-scale strikes into Houthi-controlled Yemen targeting military assets. The White House says it does not seek escalation and the aims of the strikes are deterrence and Houthi military-capability degradation.
"The Houthis have continued to launch these reckless attacks with no regard for the well-being of innocent civilians who are transiting through the Red Sea," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a press conference Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
"And now they have, unfortunately and tragically, killed innocent civilians."
When asked if the continued Houthi strikes show that the deterrence and degradation plan is not working, Miller retorted that they have always stated it was a long-term process.
He also said they are talking to regional partners "about how they ought to make clear to the Houthis that these attacks are irresponsible, that they endanger international commerce, and that they hurt the economies of countries in the region as well as countries around the world."
CENTCOM earlier said it had downed four anti-ship ballistic missiles, three unmanned aerial drones and three unmanned sea drones in a pair of attacks launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the destroyer USS Carney in the Red Sea.
There were no injuries or damage to the ship in the attacks on Tuesday afternoon and evening, CENTCOM said in a news release.
"CENTCOM forces identified the missiles, UAVs and USVs and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy ships in the region.
"These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels," CENTCOM said.
Houthi spokesman Ameen Hayyan said in a post on X that the group had conducted a "qualitative military operation" targeting two American warship destroyers in the Red Sea with a number of naval missiles and drones.
Hayyan threatened Yemeni armed forces would "not hesitate to expand" their attacks against "all hostile targets," in response to calls from the Yemeni people to come to the aid of Palestinians.
"The operations of the Yemeni armed forces will not stop until the aggression stops and the siege imposed on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted," he said.
Earlier Tuesday, an Indian warship patrolling in the Gulf of Aden came to the aid of a Swiss-owned container ship set ablaze after being struck by a missile or drone.
The Indian Navy said in a post on X that a specialized firefighting team of 12 personnel from INS Kolkata boarded the MSC Sky II in the early hours of Tuesday to assist in firefighting efforts, after rushing to the scene 90 nautical miles southeast of Aden.
"A specialist explosive ordnance team also embarked the vessel and provided assistance in residual risk assessment," the Navy spokesperson said.
CENTCOM confirmed that SKY II had been struck with an ASBM.
In the last two days, five ASBM have been fired by the Houthis, it said.
"These reckless attacks by the Houthis have disrupted global trade and taken the lives of international seafarers," it said.
