Yemen Houthi attack on a ship kills 2, marking the rebels' first fatal assault on shipping

Source: Associated Press

Yemen Houthi attack on a ship kills 2, marking the rebels’ first fatal assault on shipping

BY JON GAMBRELL AND TARA COPP
Updated 12:22 PM EST, March 6, 2024

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden killed two of its crew members and forced survivors to abandon the vessel on Wednesday, authorities said, the first fatal strike in a campaign of assaults by the group over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The attack on the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier True Confidence further escalates the conflict on a crucial maritime route linking Asia and the Middle East to Europe that has disrupted global shipping. The Iranian-backed Houthis have launched attacks since November, and the U.S. began an airstrike campaign in January that so far hasn’t halted the rebels’ attacks.

Meanwhile, Iran announced Wednesday that it would confiscate a $50 million cargo of Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. aboard a tanker it seized nearly a year earlier. It marks the latest twist in a yearslong shadow war playing out in the Middle East’s waterways even before the Houthi attacks began.

The attack Wednesday on the True Confidence came after it had been hailed over radio by individuals claiming to be the Yemeni military, officials said. The Houthis have been hailing ships over the radio in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since launching their attacks, with analysts suspecting the rebels want to seize the vessels.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-attacks-us-israel-palestinians-gaza-89c5440d9943216a787b39912bd969e0


The owner of the Barbados-flagged True Confidence is registered to an address in Liberia (file photo) (Reuters)

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Source: BBC

Crew abandon cargo ship hit by missile off Yemen

6 March 2024

By Tom Spender & Joshua Cheetham
BBC News

Some crew have abandoned ship and others are reported missing after a missile attack on a cargo vessel off in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen, maritime security firm Ambrey says.

The True Confidence was drifting with a fire on board after being hit at about 09:30 GMT, the ship's manager said.

The BBC's US partner CBS quoted US officials as saying the attack was likely to have caused fatalities.

Yemen's Houthi movement, which has been attacking shipping, has not commented.

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Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68490695