Ship evacuated and ablaze after Yemeni Houthis attack: UKMTO

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 ship was on fire and in danger of sinking, referring to an incident that occurred on Thursday 98 nautical miles east of Aden, Yemen.

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

In solidarity with the Palestinians in Israel’s war against Gaza, the Houthis have carried out dozens of attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea region since November.

On Wednesday, the Houthis also attacked a Greek coal ship near the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, causing severe flooding and damage to the engine room, rendering the ship – the Tutor – unmaneuverable.

“The Verbana is sinking in the Gulf of Aden… The Tutor is in danger of sinking 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.

(Reuters)