The M/V Verbena was still ablaze and the mariner was flown by a U.S. helicopter to another nearby ship for medical treatment, the U.S. military’s Central Command said.
On Thursday, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched two anti-ship cruise missiles that struck the commercial ship M/V Verbena, setting it on fire and severely injuring a civilian mariner in the Gulf of Aden. The U.S. military’s Central Command reported that the mariner was evacuated by a U.S. helicopter from the USS Philippine Sea and transferred to another nearby vessel for medical treatment.
The M/V Verbena, a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, and Polish-operated bulk cargo ship, had been en route from Malaysia to Italy carrying wood. Despite the damage and the fire, the crew continued efforts to fight the flames.
The attack is part of the ongoing campaign by the Houthis, which has escalated since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war. Earlier on Thursday, the British military confirmed a vessel had been attacked and caught fire, and a private security firm reported a missile strike on another merchant ship. The Houthis later claimed responsibility for the attack on the Verbena, as well as strikes on two other ships in the Red Sea.
In addition, the Houthis have launched multiple attacks on shipping in the region, including a boat-borne bomb attack on a commercial ship in the Red Sea on Wednesday. These assaults are often framed by the Houthis as part of their broader efforts to influence the conflict and support Palestinians, although many of the targets are unrelated to the conflict.
The U.S. Maritime Administration has reported that since November, the Houthis have launched over 50 attacks on shipping, killing three sailors, seizing one vessel, and sinking another. Meanwhile, a U.S.-led airstrike campaign has been targeting Houthi forces since January, including a strike in May that killed at least 16 people and injured 42.
Additionally, the National Democratic Institute in Washington announced that three of its staff members had been detained by the Houthis, joining a growing list of detainees that include U.N. and humanitarian workers.