(Washington) A cargo ship in distress in the Gulf of Aden after being hit by missiles fired from Yemen by Houthi rebels was abandoned by its crew, who were unable to put out the fire caused by the attack , the American army announced on Saturday.
The crew of the Verbena was picked up by another merchant ship, added the American central command (Centcom) on the social network ‘did not respond to the distress call’.
The M/V Verbena, a Palau-flagged bulk carrier, had issued a distress call due to a fire on board, caused by the impact of two cruise missiles launched by the Houthis on Thursday, according to Centcom. A sailor was seriously injured in the attack and was evacuated by American forces.
The Ukrainian-owned and Polish-operated Verbena had already suffered another missile attack less than 24 hours earlier.
Since November, the Iran-backed Houthis have targeted vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea in a sign of solidarity, they say, with the Palestinians in Gaza. These attacks, which seriously disrupt maritime trade, have increased in recent days.
On Wednesday, another cargo ship, the M/V Tutor, was abandoned by its crew due to a major leak caused by a missile fired from near the Yemeni city of Hodeida, controlled by the Houthis, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, an agency of the British Navy.
The ship is currently adrift in the Red Sea.
A Houthi spokesperson said on Telegram that the Verbena was “sinking in the Gulf of Aden after being hit by several missiles”, and that the Tutor “risks sinking in the coming hours”.
“These operations are dedicated […] to our brothers fighting in Gaza,” he wrote, adding that the Houthis “renew their warning to all companies about the consequences of dealing with Israel and the arrival of their ships in Palestinian Ports.”