Huthi Attack Causes Fire And One Person Injured On Cargo Ship In The Gulf Of Aden

The US Army Central Command (Centcom), responsible for the Middle East, said on Thursday that the ship “M/V Verbena reported damage and subsequent fires on board”.

"The crew continues to fight the fire," he added.

The injured man was transported by helicopter to a nearby military ship to receive medical treatment, Centcom added in a statement.

The Verbena is a Palau-flagged cargo ship owned by a Ukrainian company and operated by a Polish shipowner that was transporting timber from Malaysia to Italy, the U.S. military said.

Yemen's Houthi rebels later claimed responsibility for the attack on the Verbena, as well as attacks on two other ships in the Red Sea on Thursday.

Centcom said Yemeni rebels launched two ballistic missiles into the Red Sea that “caused no injuries or significant damage.”

Maritime security agency UKMTO, which is under the authority of the UK army, said a ship, previously the target of a failed attack by the Houthis, was hit by a “third projectile” which caused “minor damage”.

On Wednesday, rebels claimed responsibility for an explosives-laden boat attack on the Liberian-flagged cargo ship M/V Tutor in the Red Sea, causing “severe flooding” and damage on board.

Since November, the Houthis have launched dozens of drone and missile attacks against ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, disrupting global maritime trade in this strategic area.

Allies of Iran, the Yemeni rebels say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in the context of the war that began in October between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Faced with the attacks, the United States, a supporter of Israel, created a multinational force in December to protect shipping in the Red Sea and launched attacks against rebels in Yemen in January, with help from the United Kingdom.

But the attacks did not deter the Houthis, who have controlled the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, and other areas in the north and west of the country since 2015, and began to target ships linked to Israel, as well as North American and British ships.