Civilians die in Houthi attacks for the first time

Innocent people were victimized in a streak of fierce attacks on civilian vessels carried out by Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. The Houthis have come under fire for causing deadly damage to civilian sailors from other countries on a Greek cargo vessel despite its public statement that it would only target U.S. ships. The U.S.-led multinational military is likely to step up its offensive on Houthis’ strongbonds.

The U.S. Central Command wrote on X on Wednesday that M/V True Confidence, a Greek cargo ship, was struck by a missile launched by Iranian-backed Houthi troops around the Gulf of Aden, leaving at least three sailors dead and four injured, three of whom are in severe condition. The vessel had 23 sailors onboard, most of whom came from the Philippines, Vietnam, and India. It met a deadly fate departing from China to leave for Saudi Arabia.

Since last November, the Houthi government has performed at least 60 strikes on civilian and multinational military vessels under the pretext that it opposes Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. For the first time, its mission caused a deadly incident. Yemen’s Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sare’e said right after the attack that it embarked on this mission because the vessel ignored the Yemeni Navy’s warnings, claiming the missile attack.

As Rubymar, a British vessel, was sunk last Sunday due to an attack carried out on Feb. 18, immediately followed by this recent tragedy with casualties, the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) issued a statement. ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton condemned the attackers for committing a tragic disaster stating that the organization had constantly warned the international community of all the dangers that threaten sailors’ lives in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea.

The U.S.-led multi-national force will increase military pressure on the Houthi government given that all-out air strikes have been believed to make little difference since they were first launched on Jan. 12. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Wednesday (local time), “The Houthis have continued to launch these reckless attacks with no regard for the well-being of innocent civilians who are transiting through the Red Sea,” promising to hold the Houthis accountable for their attacks.


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