Ship burns near Yemen after second attack in days

A small cargo ship caught fire while sailing in the Gulf of Aden after being hit by three missiles, the second major incident in two days and a new increase in attacks.

The attack on the Verbena occurred about 158 ​​kilometers east of Aden in Yemen, and damage control measures were already underway, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center, which coordinates liaison between military and commercial shipping. One person was injured. A second ship, the Seaguardian, was also attacked in the Red Sea.

The Verbena was cruising the Gulf of Aden on Thursday morning but kept sailing, according to a ship tracking log compiled by Bloomberg. There were no signals from the Seaguardian at the time of the attack, suggesting the ship may have turned off its tracking transponder as it passed the Yemeni coast.

A spokesman for the Houthi militias said in a televised statement that the group had claimed responsibility for both attacks.

Yemeni Houthis’ attacks on ships in the Red Sea have been a regular occurrence since late last year, leading to a drop in shipping traffic of about 70 percent compared to early December. The group has been attacking ships, allegedly in response to the war between Israel and Hamas.

On Wednesday, the engine room of the cargo ship Tutor suffered severe flooding after the first successful sea-launched drone attack in the Houthis’ current campaign.

The owners of Tutor and Verbena did not respond to requests for comment.

Photo: Yemen’s Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea have been a daily occurrence since late last year. Photo credit: Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images

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