ALBAWABA - The Philippine government announced on Thursday that 2 citizens were killed in a Houthi attack that targeted an American ship in the Gulf of Aden.
Houthi forces attacked a vessel on Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden resulting in the death of three people. A ballistic missile targeted the vessel True Confidence, which was flying the Barbados flag.
"With great sadness," the Department of Migrant Workers confirmed the death of "two Filipino seafarers in the most recent attack by Houthi rebels on ships plying the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden."
"We are also informed that two other Filipino crewmen were severely injured in the attack on their ship," the agency further said.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the vessel reported "three fatalities, at least four injuries, of which three are in critical condition, and significant damage to the ship."
Nonetheless, CENTCOM released a statement following the ship attack saying it strikes targets in Yemen. It said: "At approximately 7:14 p.m. (Sanaa Time), United States Central Command conducted self-defense strikes against two unmanned aerial vehicles in a Houthi controlled area of Yemen that presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region.
These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels."
Houthi Military Spokesperson Yahya Saree confirmed in a statement that Yemeni Armed Forces attacked the American vessel, True Confidence, in the Gulf of Aden using naval missiles, resulting in significant casualties.
He justified the attacks by saying it came in response to the ship's crew disregarding warning messages from Yemeni naval forces.
