US military announces sinking of cargo ship after Houthi attack

Shafaq News/ On Sunday, the crew of a cargo ship hit by Houthi (Ansarallah) missiles evacuated the ship after failing to extinguish the fire that had started.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated: “On June 13, the Iran-backed Houthis attacked the M/V Verbena, a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned and Polish-operated bulk carrier, in two separate missile attacks. Today, at approximately 1:45 p.m. (Sanna time), the crew issued a distress call advising that they were abandoning ship.”

CENTCOM added: “The M/V Anna Meta has responded to provide assistance. Anna Meta has recovered the mariners and is transporting them to safety. The crew has abandoned ship as the fire continues and they cannot be brought under control.”

A sailor was seriously injured in the attack and was evacuated by US forces, CENTCOM said. The Iranian frigate Jamaran was eight nautical miles away from the M/V Verbena and did not respond to the distress call.

In the last two days, Ansarallah has attacked two ships for “violating the ban on entering ports in the occupied Palestinian territories.”

Ansarallah spokesman Brigadier General Yehya Saree said the ship Verbena sank in the Gulf of Aden after being hit by several missiles.

“Another vessel, TUTOR, was attacked by a drone boat, several ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. It is expected to sink within the next few hours,” he said.

On Thursday, the armed group in Yemen renewed its warning to all companies “not to cooperate with Israel and allow their ships to dock in ports in the occupied Palestinian territories.”

The military said failure to heed this warning would result in these ships being attacked in the Yemeni armed forces’ area of ​​operations.”

What is particularly notable is that the Houthi attacks reached halfway through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a 20-kilometer-wide passage that serves as a gateway to the Red Sea. About 15 percent of global shipping traffic to and from the Suez Canal passes through this strait.