Photo: A helicopter lands on the USS Laboon destroyer in the Red Sea. \Associated Press
[Ta Kung Pao News]According to Reuters: The Office of Maritime Trade Operations under the British Navy said on the 14th that a Palau-flagged cargo ship “Verbena” was attacked by the Yemeni Houthi armed forces. The cargo ship caught fire and sank, and one crew member was seriously injured. Another cargo ship “Mentor” flying the Liberian flag was also attacked. The crew has abandoned the ship and evacuated. One crew member is missing and the remaining 21 crew members have been rescued. The ship is currently drifting in the Red Sea.
According to the Philippine government, all 22 crew members on the Mentor are Filipinos. The U.S. Central Command previously said that the ship was attacked by Houthi armed surface drones and “unknown aerial launches”, causing water to enter the hull and serious damage to the cabin. The Philippine Department of Immigration and Labor said that the missing crew members are believed to be trapped in the engine room.
British maritime security company Ambrey said it was the first time the Houthis had used remote-controlled water explosives to attack a ship.
According to a report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency, at least 65 countries and major energy and shipping companies including Shell, BP and Maersk have been affected by the Houthi attacks. Last month, the US and British forces launched the latest retaliatory attack on the Houthis, killing 16 people, and the Houthis threatened to escalate their retaliatory attacks.
source: china