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 ship, said the United States military, on Saturday (Jun 15). This comes days after the American forces in the region said two cruise missiles launched by the militant group struck the cargo vessel. 

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, said the CENTCOM, in a statement. 

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

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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. The attacks, Houthis claim, are in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. 

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

Another cargo ship, the Anna Meta, rescued the crew, said the CENTCOM. “The Iranian frigate IRIN Jamaran was eight nautical miles from M/V Verbena and did not respond to the distress call,” the statement added. 

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

The militant group confirmed the attack on Thursday, saying that they targeted the ship in the Arabian Sea. 

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

Sarea also confirmed attacks on two other ships – Seaguardian ship and Athina ship – in the Red Sea. 

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.

The Houthi spokesperson, on Saturday (Jun 15), referring to the attacks on the Verbena and the Tutor said 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)