Houthi rebel missile strike in Yemen sets cargo ship on fire, injures sailor

Yemen's Houthi rebels launched two anti-ship cruise missiles on Thursday and struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen, setting it on fire and seriously injuring a civilian sailor, authorities said.

The M/V Verbena was still on fire and the sailor was transported by a U.S. helicopter based on the USS Philippine Sea to another nearby ship for medical treatment, U.S. Army Central Command said.

In a statement, Central Command said the Verbena was a Palau-flagged bulk carrier, owned by Ukraine and operated by Poland, which had docked in Malaysia and was en route to Italy with timber. “The M/V Verbena reported damage and subsequent fires on board. The crew continues to fight the fire,” the statement said.

The attack is the latest in the Houthis' campaign against the war between Israel and Hamas.

Earlier on Thursday, the British military's maritime commercial operations center said a ship had been attacked and caught fire. And private security firm Ambrey said a merchant ship sent out a radio distress call saying it had been hit by a missile.

The Houthis later claimed responsibility for the attack on the Verbena, as well as attacks on two other ships in the Red Sea. Central Command said the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles into the Red Sea that caused “no injuries or significant damage.”

The UKMTO said a ship missed earlier by the Houthis was hit by a “third projectile” which caused “minor damage”. The ship was able to continue sailing, he said.

The attack on the Verbena follows the Houthis launching a ship-borne bomb attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea on Wednesday.

Central Command also said it destroyed a Houthi drone and two patrol boats in the Red Sea, as well as an airborne drone.

The Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital nearly a decade ago and have recently been fighting a Saudi-led coalition, are targeting shipping throughout the Red Sea corridor.

They say the attacks are aimed at stopping the war and supporting the Palestinians, although they often target ships that have nothing to do with the conflict.

The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on ships, killed three sailors, seized one ship and sunk another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. A US-led airstrikes campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, according to the rebels.

Also Thursday, the Washington-based National Democratic Institute said three of its staffers were arrested by the Houthis earlier this month. Their detention comes as staff from UN agencies and those working for aid groups have also been arrested in a growing crackdown by rebels.

“This arbitrary and inhumane treatment of Yemeni citizens involved in humanitarian aid, diplomacy, democracy and human rights, peacemaking and the development of civil society is completely unfounded and must end immediately” , declared the institute. It calls for the “rapid release by the Houthi regime of our staff and all those unjustly detained.”

The institute is a democracy promotion organization that has worked in Yemen since 1993. It receives funding from the U.S. government and others.