Filipino Seamen Among First Fatalities Of Houthi Attacks In Red Sea

Two Filipino seafarers are among the dead after a Houthi ballistic missile struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden, marking the first fatal attack by the Iran-backed militant group in its ongoing assaults in the Red Sea, Natasha Bertrand reported for CNN.

Two other Filipinos were seriously hurt in the latest attack. I Photo: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Lau, U.S. Navy

At least three crew members were killed and four others injured in the attack on the M/V True Confidence, a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier, US Central Command said in a statement.

The ship has since been abandoned and coalition warships are now in the area assessing the situation, two US officials told CNN. Two other Filipinos were seriously hurt in the attack.

The deadly strike marks a significant escalation of the Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which began in October in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The Houthis said in a statement that the strike was “accurate” and caused a fire to break out on the ship. “The targeting operation came after the ship’s crew rejected warning messages from the Yemeni naval forces,” a Houthi statement said.

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