Commercial Ship at Risk of Sinking After Houthi Attack

A commercial ship faces the imminent threat of sinking in the Red Sea following an attack by Yemen's Houthi group.

The British Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that after the crew was evacuated, the vessel was left without a captain and is now drifting towards the shores of Djibouti, taking on water.

The Ukrainian-owned cargo ship, "Verbine," managed by a Polish company, was en route to Italy carrying construction materials.

The attack ignited a fire on the ship, initially leading to the evacuation of a seriously injured sailor before the entire crew was evacuated.

According to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM), the Houthis targeted the ship last Thursday with two cruise missiles, resulting in a fire and severe injury to a crew member.

In a separate announcement, CENTCOM confirmed the destruction of seven Houthi radars, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and two unmanned surface vessels. These radars enabled the Houthis to target maritime vessels, posing a significant risk to commercial navigation.

The radars destroyed by CENTCOM were located in Houthi-controlled regions of Yemen, with the drone and two unmanned boats also eliminated during the operation. 

These American strikes come amid an increase in Houthi attacks.

Since November, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, disrupting global shipping routes and causing delays and additional costs to supply chains.

To date, the Houthis have sunk one ship, seized another, and killed three sailors in separate incidents.