Attack on freighter off Yemen: First deaths after Houthi ship attacks

Attack on freighter off Yemen
First deaths after Houthi ship attacks

March 6, 2024, 9:43 p.m

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A Houthi missile hits the freighter “True Confidence” off the Yemeni coast. At least two people die in the impact. These are the first deaths from terrorist attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea.

According to British sources, at least two people were killed in an attack by Houthi fighters on a freighter off the coast of Yemen. These are the first reports of fatalities since Iran-backed extremists began their attacks on commercial shipping in mid-November. The Greek ship operator said the freighter “True Confidence” was hit by a missile.

There were 20 sailors and three armed security forces on board. The burning freighter is apparently still floating in the sea. Initially, shipping circles said that three sailors were missing and four others had suffered severe burns. The freighter was hit by a missile 50 miles southwest of the Yemeni port city of Aden, the owner company True Confidence Shipping reported in Liberia and the Greek operator Third January Maritime said.

There were 15 men on board from the Philippines, four from Vietnam, two from Sri Lanka and one each from India and Nepal. The ship sailed under the flag of Barbados. “At least two innocent sailors have died,” the British embassy in Yemen said on Portal X. This is the sad but inevitable consequence of reckless Houthi attacks on international ships. “That has to stop.” There was confirmation of the fatalities from the USA.

Many merchant ships now avoid the Red Sea

Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack. The extremists have repeatedly attacked merchant ships in recent months – according to them, in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, against which the Israeli military has been operating since the extremists attacked Israel at the beginning of October. Both the Houthis and Hamas are supported by Israel’s arch-enemy Iran. The Houthis have said they would attack ships linked to Israel, the US and Britain. The British freighter “Rubymar,” which was badly damaged in a Houthi attack, recently sank. In shipping circles, however, freighters from all nations are considered to be at risk when traveling through the maritime area in the Middle East.

The Houthi attacks have caused major shipping companies such as Maersk from Denmark and Hapag-Lloyd from Germany to avoid the Red Sea. Instead of taking the shortest route from Asia to Europe through the Suez Canal, many ships take a detour via the southern tip of Africa. This leads to delays and higher costs for shipping companies, but also causes freight rates to rise. Under the leadership of Greece, the EU wants to protect merchant ships from further attacks by the Houthi militias.

For this purpose, Germany sent the frigate “Hessen” in February, which has already been involved in combat operations to defend against drones. The USA and Great Britain had already launched regular retaliatory strikes against the Houthis. Experts say deaths from Houthi attacks could spark calls for a tougher crackdown.