Deadly Houthi missile strike claims 3 lives aboard cargo vessel

International Desk: Houthi rebels launched a missile attack on a cargo ship in southern Yemen. US officials confirmed that three crew members were killed. Houthi attack on cargo ship leads to death for the first time. Earlier there were attacks on various ships, but no one was reported dead.

The Barbados-flagged cargo ship True Confidence caught fire after the attack. The US military said the ship was attacked around 11:30 p.m. local time off the coast of Aden on Tuesday. The Houthis have said from the beginning that they are supporting the Palestinians in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. They will not stop attacking ships until Israel stops the conflict there. In a show of strong support for the Palestinians, they have been attacking ships belonging to Israel, the United States and its allies one after the other. US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations in the Middle East, says three crew members were killed and at least four others wounded. Three of them are in critical condition. A post on social media said the Houthis' reckless attacks were disrupting global trade and killing international sailors.

In a statement, the Iran-backed group said the crew of the True Confidence ignored warnings from the Houthi navy. Meanwhile, the British Embassy in Yemen says that the attack on the ship was an inevitable consequence of the Houthi attack. They must stop this attack. Earlier, US and British officials said two people were killed and six others injured in the attack on the ship. There were 20 crew members on that ship. Among them, one is an Indian, four are Vietnamese and 15 are from the Philippines. Besides, two Sri Lankans and a Nepali armed guard were also staying on the ship.