7-3-2024 (MANILA) Two Filipino crew members lost their lives in a missile attack carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on a ship in the Gulf of Aden, the Philippines government confirmed on Thursday.
This incident, which occurred on Wednesday, marks a grim milestone as the first deaths resulting from Houthi attacks on merchant vessels navigating the crucial Red Sea trade route. The Department of Migrant Workers expressed deep sorrow, stating, “With great sadness, the Department of Migrant Workers confirms the deaths of two Filipino seafarers in the most recent attack by Houthi rebels on ships plying the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”
Additionally, two other Filipino crew members sustained severe injuries in the assault. The Philippines government is actively coordinating with the ship owners and the crewing agency to gather information about the conditions of the remaining crew members.
The missile strike targeted the Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned M/V True Confidence. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reported, “three fatalities, at least four injuries, of which three are in critical condition, and significant damage to the ship.”
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree took to social media to claim responsibility for the attack, stating that the vessel was targeted with missiles after the ship’s crew rejected warning messages from the rebels.
The Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, initiated their campaign of attacking ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea last November. The rebels claim that this campaign is a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The loss of Filipino lives in this recent attack underscores the escalating risks faced by seafarers navigating these strategic waterways.
