A rocket fired by the rebel group Houthis At the Yemen According to US authorities, a merchant ship hit the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, killing two American civilian sailors. US. These are the first American deaths in the conflict against the Houthis that began War between Israel and the Hamas group in the Gaza Strip.
Authorities said on condition of anonymity that the missile hit the ship around 11:30 a.m. in Yemen. In addition to the deaths, six other sailors were injured and the rest of the crew abandoned ship. U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the region, is expected to issue a statement this afternoon.
Image from this Tuesday 4th, Yemeni flag in the capital Sana'a. The Houthis based in the country launch attacks on ships in the region. Photo: Yahya Arhab / EFE
According to the British maritime safety company Ambrey, rescue operations are currently underway for sailors and some of the crew in lifeboats.
The missile was the fifth the Houthis had fired in the past two days against ships traveling in the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Bab elMandeb Strait, key routes for global trade. The attacks in the region began after Israel's response to Hamas's terrorist campaign on October 7 due to the rebels' ties to the group.
In December, The US and Britain launched airstrikes against Houthi bases in an attempt to stop the offensive against the ships. According to the Houthirun Saba news agency, dozens of rebels died as a result of the attacks. Nevertheless, hostilities between the two sides continued.
This week, the Houthis had already managed to sink a ship in the Red Sea with a missile. The ship, named Rubymar, had 21,000 tons of fertilizer on board, which were completely lost in the attack. /WP