Sanaa: In a tragic incident, three crew members lost their lives and four others sustained injuries in a missile strike launched by Houthi rebels on a Barbados-flagged commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden, according to US officials.
The US Central Command (Centcom), responsible for operations in the Middle East, revealed that an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) was fired from territories under Houthi control in Yemen, which is reportedly backed by Iran. The targeted vessel, named ‘True Confidence’, a Barbados-flagged and Liberian-owned bulk carrier, was struck while navigating the Gulf of Aden.
Centcom stated, “The missile struck the vessel, and the multinational crew reports three fatalities, at least four injuries, of which three are in critical condition, and significant damage to the ship.”
Reports from the Xinhua news agency, citing Yemeni sources, indicate that the crew comprised 20 sailors from various nationalities, including India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Nepal. Most of the crew managed to evacuate using lifeboats, sensing the impending danger of the vessel sinking, while three crew members remain missing.
