Crew abandons cargo ship hit in missile attack by Houthi rebels: US military

The crew on board a bulk cargo carrier which sustained damage after a missile attack by the Iran-backed Yemen-based Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden has abandoned the ship, the US military said on Saturday (Jun 15).

Another cargo ship, the Anna Meta, rescued the crew, said the US Central Command or CENTCOM.

This comes days after the American forces in the region said two cruise missiles launched by the militant group struck the vessel.

Crew abandons M/V Verbenaship

The M/V Verbena, a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, and Polish-operated ship, had been targeted on Thursday (Jun 13) in two separate missile attacks, CENTCOM said.

At around 1:45 pm (Sanaa time), the crew issued a “distress call indicating they were abandoning the ship,” it added in a statement.

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The Iran-backed militant group has been targeting vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the beginning of the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. Houthis claim the attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

According to the US military, the crew on board the Verbena issued the distress call because it could not control fires sparked by the attack.

“The Iranian frigate IRIN Jamaran was eight nautical miles from M/V Verbena and did not respond to the distress call,” the CENTCOM added.

The attack left one sailor severely injured, who was later evacuated by US forces in the region.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea had said the ship Verbena was “hit directly, leading to a fire breaking out on board.”

Sarea also confirmed attacks on two other ships – Seaguardian and Athina.

Cargo ship flooded, abandoned after attack

On Wednesday (Jun 12), another cargo ship named M/V Tutor was abandoned after it was struck by a sea drone off the rebel-held city of Hodeida.

The attack, according to the British Navy-run United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, caused serious flooding.

‘Warning to all companies’

Referring to the attacks on the Verbena and the Tutor, a Houthi spokesperson said on Saturday (Jun 15) that these “operations are dedicated...to our brothers fighting in Gaza”.

The statement also renewed its “warning to all companies about the consequences of dealing with Israel”.

(With inputs from agencies)