(UnitedVoice.com) – Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been launching attacks on ships in the Red Sea since the onset of Israel’s war with Hamas. During a recent assault on a merchant ship, a sailor went missing and the vessel was lit on fire. The US military responded with strikes on Houthi sites.
On Wednesday, June 13, Houthi rebels attacked the Greek-owned cargo carrier Tutor. The militants used a drone to bomb the ship. The crew abandoned the vessel and were rescued by the USS Philippine Sea and others. One of the sailors went missing at sea.
The US responded to the attack by striking radar sites operated by the rebels. Central Command (CENTCOM) released a statement revealing seven Houthi sites were hit.
CENTCOM stated, “These radars allow the Houthis to target maritime vessels and endanger commercial shipping.” The military also destroyed a drone launched by the rebel group and two bomb-laden drone boats in the Red Sea.
The Houthis also attacked the M/V Verbena in the Gulf of Aden. The Ukrainian-owned and Polish-operated ship reported it was hit with cruise missiles. CENTCOM spoke about the attack, saying it “reported damage and subsequent fires on board.” The crew was fighting the blazes, but a “civilian mariner was severely injured during the attack.”
Aircraft aboard the USS Philippine responded to the attack and evacuated the mariner from the ship. They were taken to another vessel nearby where they received medical attention for their injuries.
The Houthis have targeted ships in the Gulf of Aden in the Red Sea since November after the war in Gaza began. They have claimed they’re standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people and are attacking Israeli-connected ships. Many of the vessels have nothing to do with Israel and are just trying to ship goods between the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. The Associated Press described the combat in the region as the most intense the US Navy has faced since World War II.
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