Houthi attack kills two sailors in Red Sea conflict
A cargo ship was hit by a missile fired from Yemen in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday. Two people were killed and six others wounded, according to the crew. It is the first time since the start of the conflict that commercial sailors have been killed by a Houthi attack.
True Confidence flies the flag of Barbados, but was believed to be US-owned by Houthi rebels. The crew abandoned the ship, according to US officials. At the time of the attack, the ship was 57 nautical miles (105 kilometres) southwest of the Yemeni city of Aden.
UKMTO, the British navy's maritime security agency, also reported that a ship had been hit in the area and that coalition forces had intervened.
Since November, the Iran-aligned rebels have been targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden that they claim have links to Israel, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians in light of the war in Gaza.
In December, the US set up a multinational force to protect merchant ships from missile attacks. The US later launched attacks against Houthi positions in Yemen, sometimes with the help of the UK. Since the start of these attacks, the Houthis have begun to target US and British ships.
Archive picture of a cargo ship in the Red Sea. PHOTO: ©ASHRAF SHAZLY / AFP
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