Two cruise missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden hit a cargo ship, seriously wounding a sailor who was evacuated by American forces. This was revealed by the United States Central Command (Centcom), which specified that M/V Verbena flying the Palauan flag, owned by Ukraine and operated by Poles, “suffered damage and consequent fire on board”. “One sailor was seriously injured during the attack” and “a USS Philippine Sea aircraft evacuated him to a nearby partner ship for medical treatment.” Centcom denounced “this continued reckless behavior by the Iran-backed Houthis” which “threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of sailors in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.” The pro-Iranian Yemeni rebels have claimed responsibility for attacks against three ships in the last few hours, including the Verbena, “in retaliation for the crimes committed against our people in the Gaza Strip and in response to the American-British aggression against our country”.
In response, US forces destroyed two Houthi unmanned vessels (USVs) in the Red Sea, along with a drone and seven radars located in an area controlled by pro-Iranian rebels in Yemen. The affected radars allowed “the Houthis to target maritime vessels and endanger commercial shipping.”
