One sailor injured, merchant ship on fire after Houthi missile attack
Al Jazeera
The Palau-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated M/V Verbena was delivering timber to Italy when it came under fire.
Two cruise missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels have struck a bulk cargo carrier in the Gulf of Aden, severely injuring one of the crew.
The M/V Verbena, a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, and Polish-operated ship, “reported damage and subsequent fires on board. The crew continues to fight the fire. One civilian mariner was severely injured during the attack,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Thursday.
“Aircraft from USS Philippine Sea medically evacuated the injured mariner to a partner force ship nearby for medical attention,” it added.
The Houthis, who are locked in a war with a Saudi-led coalition after removing Yemen’s internationally-recognised government from Sanaa in 2014, have been targeting vessels with alleged Israeli links in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023.
They say the action is in solidarity with the Palestinians over Israel’s war on Gaza, in which at least 37,232 people have been killed.
