A Barbados-flagged Liberian-owned 183 m long cargo ship MV True Confidence has been hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile attack launched by Houthi militants from Yemen. The attack took place at about 8:30 GMT on 6th March, approximately 54 nautical miles southwest of the port city of Yemen, in the Gulf of Aden. As a result, at least three crew members were killed and four of them got injured.
The Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata, deployed for the Maritime security operation along with a US warship hastened to the spot in no time and rescued 21 crew members of the severed vessel where there were 1 Indian, 4 Vietnamese, 15 Filipino as well as 3 armed guards from Sri Lanka and 1 from Nepal. The Indian navy hurriedly carried out the rescue operation using their integral helicopters and boats. The ship’s medical team also provided essential medical assistance to the crew members, especially to those critically injured. They were shifted to Djibouti soon after on the same day.
The cargo ship was heading towards the Red Sea port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Aqaba in Jordan from China. It was carrying steel products and trucks with it.
Philippines Government’s remark
The Philippines government’s Department of Migrant Workers affirmed on Thursday that there were two Filipinos among the three crew members killed and two of them were “severely injured”.
Testimonies of the officials
The operators of the commercial vessel True Confidence said that the ship was set ablaze and drifting away. This attack intensifies Global concerns related to attacks on merchant vessels, particularly by the Houthis. The US Central Command (Centcom), which is in charge of the operations in the Middle East posted on social media that these attacks by the Houthis, who claim they are attacking in order to support the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, have disrupted Global trade and are taking the lives of the international mariners. The Indian Navy has been actively extending its assistance to these vessels over the past few weeks following similar attacks.
Possible reason for the attack
The merchant vessel is a Liberia-registered bulk carrier owned by True Confidence Shipping S.A. and operated by Third January Maritime Ltd of Piraeus, Greece. According to Llyod’s List Intelligence the cargo might have been targeted as ‘American’ as it had old links to US-based investor group Oaktree Capital Management.
Statement given by the Houthis
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated that the attack came after the merchant ship rejected warnings from Yemen’s Naval Forces and that they would continue their attacks on the Red Sea until the termination of Israeli aggression and the siege on the Gaza Strip is lifted, reports CNN.
Other attacks in recent times
Some of the significant attacks carried out by the Houthis for over a month include the recent attack on Rubymar, a cargo vessel transporting fertilizer, which drowned after remaining afloat for several days, and an American drone costing tens of millions of dollars which also was struck down.
Counterattack by USA
The Houthi-backed Al-Masirah TV reported on Wednesday that following the attack in the Gulf of Aden on True Confidence the US has targeted the international airport in the Houthi-controlled Red Sea, which is the port city of Hudaydah, with two air strikes.
