FALCON POWERS – A seafarer was seriously injured in a cruise missile attack launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen against a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, according to the US military.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that the Liberian-flagged, Ukraine-owned and Polish-operated vessel Viraboina reported “damage and a fire on board.” The crew was fighting the fire, and one of the seafarers was “seriously injured.” The US forces medically evacuated the injured crew member to another vessel for treatment.
CENTCOM stated that “a US Navy MH-60S helicopter from USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) conducted a medical evacuation of the injured mariner to a nearby partner ship for medical care.”
The US military warned that “this reckless behavior by the Iran-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”
The US statement came after a British maritime security agency reported that a fire had broken out on a commercial vessel after it was attacked off the coast of Yemen.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said the vessel was “hit by two unidentified projectiles, resulting in a fire on board.” According to security firm Ambrey, the ship was hit by a missile while sailing in the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen.
Ambrey advised commercial shipping to “keep well clear of the damaged vessel and suspend crew movements.”
