US shoots down two Houthi drones, hours after three killed and ship abandoned in first fatal attack by Iran-backed rebels
The US has shot down two Houthi drones after three people were killed in the first deadly attack by the Iran-backed rebels.
The US Central Command announced that the US plane destroyed the “suicide”. drones in western Yemen.
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Yesterday the Houthi revolted launched an attack on a Greek-owned Barbadian-flagged cargo ship True confidence in the Gulf of Aden.
Three seafarers are believed to have been killed and at least four injured.
Survivors were forced to leave the ship in lifeboats, a US official said.
It is the first deadly attack since the Iranian-backed group began strikes against shipping on one of the busiest trade routes in the world.
In retaliation, the US military carried out self-defense strikes against two Houthi missiles that posed an “imminent threat.”
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The Houthis have been ruthlessly attacking ships in the Red Sea since November due to the ongoing war in Gaza.
In response, Britain and the United States launched attacks against the rebels.
The Houthis’ military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, claimed the latest deadly attack in a pre-recorded message, saying the rebels’ rocket fire would not stop until “the siege on the Palestinian people in Gaza is lifted.”
In a statement to X in response to the Houthi claim, the British embassy wrote: “At least two innocent sailors have died. This was the sad but inevitable consequence of the Houthis’ reckless firing of missiles at international shipping. They have to stop.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the families of those who died and those who were injured.”
The Greek operators of the True Confidence reported that the ship was on fire and that no information was available about the twenty crew members and three guards on board.
This was said by an American military official Reuters smoke was seen coming from the ship and a lifeboat was seen floating nearby.
On Thursday, two of the victims were identified as Filipino seafarers, the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers said in a statement.
The attack seriously injured two other Philippine citizens, and the ministry called for “continued diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and address the roots of the current conflict in the Middle East.”
Several shipping companies have been forced to divert their ships transiting the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to a longer alternative route around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
Who are the Houthis?
THE Houthi rebels have been terrorizing the Red Sea by launching persistent missile and drone attacks on ships and warships – but who are they?
The Shiite militant group, which now controls most of Yemen, was largely ignored by the world for more than a decade.
However, since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Gaza, they have disappeared from relative obscurity accounting for around £1 trillion in global trade held hostage – making it one of the busiest in the world shipping routes to an active war zone.
Their twisted slogan is “Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse the Jews and Victory for Islam.”
Why do they attack ships?
The rebel group has launched brutal drone and missile attacks on all ships – including warships – they believe are linked to Israel, in solidarity with their ally Hamas.
In reality, however, there have been frequent attacks on commercial ships with little or no connection to Israel, forcing global maritime traffic to halt operations in the region and sending shipping prices soaring.
The naval attacks have threatened to unleash a full-blown war in the Middle East, while the intense ripples of Israel’s war in Gaza are being felt across the region – with Iran suspected of fomenting the chaos.
Houthi attacks in the Red Sea increased by 50 percent between November and December as the rebel group’s leaders vowed that their attacks would continue until Israel halted its offensive in Gaza.
And despite repeated threats from the West and joint attacks from the US and Britain destroying their strongholds in Yemen, Iran’s terror representative appears undeterred.