First fatal attack against merchant ship – Liberation

Yemeni rebels attacked a ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, March 6. An American official announced two dead and six wounded.

A missile fired from Yemen hit a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, March 6. the gang “Reports of at least two dead and six wounded among its ranks and abandoned ship”.An American official said. Because of the missile “substantial loss” For ship, “True Faith”. British maritime security agency Embry clarified that the bulk carrier belonged to an American company, but an American official, for his part, confirmed that it was linked to Liberia.

“Today the Houthis killed innocent civilians”, he also expressed regret. It is the first death reported since the Yemeni group launched a campaign of strikes against ships traveling through one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. In a statement on social media, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saari wrote that “true confidence” had been affected. “missiles” then “Crew’s Rejection of Warning Messages”leading to the occurrence of a “fire”.

The United States announced that it would continue to demand the surrender of the Houthi rebels “Accounts”. “We call on governments around the world to do the same”State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

Shipping dropped about 30%

In December, the United States established a multinational force off the coast of Yemen, which is responsible for protecting commercial vessels against these rebel attacks that have increased in recent months. The rebels, close to Iran, have since November targeted ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden that they believe are linked to Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in the context of the war that began in October in the Gaza Strip.

Their attacks have forced many shipowners to suspend passage through this important shipping lane. According to the International Monetary Fund, container shipping through the Red Sea has fallen by nearly 30% in a year. According to the European Union, before the war, 12 to 15% of the world’s traffic passed through this axis.

Assaults against Houthi positions in Yemen, led by the establishment of a multinational coalition by the United States and sometimes with the help of the United Kingdom, have not succeeded in stopping attacks by the Yemeni rebels, who now also target Americans. and British ships. On Tuesday, the US military said it had shot down a missile and three rebel drones targeting a US Navy destroyer in the Red Sea. A day earlier, the Houthis attacked an Italian-Swiss ship owner MSC’s container ship, claiming it was a “Israel ship”

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Update: At 8:10 p.m., with a statement from the American spokesperson; Then at 9:25 p.m. with a reaction from a Houthi military spokesman and clarification on the ship’s nationality.