Ship evacuated and ablaze after Yemeni Houthis attack: UKMTO | World News

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Saturday that the crew of a Palauan-flagged cargo ship had been evacuated and that the vessel was on fire and in danger of sinking, citing an incident that occurred on June 13, 98 nautical miles east of Aden, Yemen.

Missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi militias hit the ship Verbena in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, sparking a fire and seriously injuring a crew member, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

The Houthis, allied with Iran, have carried out dozens of attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea region since November in solidarity with the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas.

On June 12, the Houthis also attacked a Greek coal ship near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, causing severe flooding and damage to the engine room, leaving the ship – the Tutor – unable to maneuver.

“The Verbana sinks in the Gulf of Aden … There is a risk that the Tutor will sink in the next few hours,” Houthis’ military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Saturday, repeating the group’s threat to attack companies doing business with Israel.

The attacks by the Houthi rebels have disrupted world trade by forcing shipping companies to divert their vessels from the crucial shortcut through the Suez Canal, and have prompted retaliatory strikes by the US and UK since February.