A sailor was severely injured after the MV Verbena – a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated cargo ship, was struck by two cruise missiles fired by Houthi forces in Yemen, the US military reported. The injured sailor was airlifted to another ship for medical treatment, according to the US Central Command (CentCom).
CentCom has since destroyed two Houthi patrol boats, an unmanned surface vessel, and a drone over the Red Sea, identifying them as “an imminent threat to US, coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region.”
The Houthis earlier said they had carried out attacks on three ships within the past 24 hours, including on the MV Verbena, “in retaliation to the crimes committed against our people in the Gaza Strip, and in response to the American-British aggression against our country”. This attack comes a day after the Iranian-backed group targeted a Greek-owned ship in the Red Sea, causing severe flooding on board.
The Houthis, backed by Iran, see themselves as part of an “axis of resistance” against Israel, the US, and the West. They have been targeting ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Adenthey believe are linked to Israel since November, declaring their actions as support for Palestinians in Gaza. The US and UK have responded with attacks on Houthi targets inside Yemen, prompting further retaliatory strikes from the Houthis on vessels perceived to be connected to those nations.
CentCom condemned the Houthis’ actions, stating, “The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza and yet they are targeting and threatening the lives of third-country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza.”
The ongoing attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea have led many shipping companies to avoid the waterway, a critical route through which approximately 12% of global seaborne trade passes. In a related incident on Wednesday, the Houthis targeted the Liberian-flagged vessel named Tutor with a sea drone in the Red Sea, though no casualties were reported.
Melissa Enoch
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