6:32 p.m
Houthis claim responsibility for the attack
Yemeni Houthi militiamen have claimed responsibility for the attack on the Barbados-flagged merchant ship True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen. “The ship is adrift,” the Greek owners said, explaining that the merchant ship had been hit by a missile 90 kilometers from Aden.
6:19 p.m
Crew members leave ship
According to another DOD official, the 23 crew members had to abandon the damaged but not yet sunk ship. An Indian destroyer was the first to arrive on the scene and the crew was loaded on board.
6:15 p.m
Houthi attack on Greek cargo: 2 dead and 6 injured
At least two sailors were killed and six were injured when Yemen's Houthi militiamen attacked the merchant ship True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden, 90 kilometers off the coast of Yemen. American officials reported this to CNN. The British Embassy in Yemen also confirmed that a Houthi missile attack on a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden killed two crew members and forced survivors to abandon the freighter in lifeboats.
5:14 p.m
Ship is drifting away, the crew has abandoned the merchant ship
The Greek cargo ship True Confidence was hit by a missile on Wednesday about 50 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden. The attack was probably carried out by Houthi troops, said the ship's owner and operator. The bulk carrier was adrift and fire continued to burn on board. There is no information available about the status of the 20 crew members and three armed guards on board. A maritime source said three sailors on the Barbados-flagged ship were missing and four others suffered serious burns. There was no immediate claim to responsibility.
Houth fighters in Yemen have repeatedly fired drones and missiles at international merchant ships since mid-November, claiming they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians to oppose Israeli military actions in Gaza. Britain's Maritime Trade Operations Agency (UKMTO) said earlier it had received a report of an accident 54 nautical miles southwest of Aden, near the entrance to the Red Sea. The shipper, who declined to be identified, said the ship appeared to have been abandoned. A US defense official added that smoke was coming from True Confidence. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Portal that a lifeboat was also seen in the water near the ship.
5:09 p.m
Greek cargo hit in the Red Sea
The Greek cargo ship True Confidence was hit by a missile about 50 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden in an attack believed to have come from Houthi forces, the ship's owner and operator said.