A crew leaving a ship burned by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden

A cargo ship hit by missiles fired from Yemen by Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden was abandoned by its crew after being unable to put out the fire caused by the attack, the US military said on Saturday. Verbena’s crew was picked up by another merchant ship, US Central Command (CENTCOM) added to the social network. “Iranian frigate IRIN Zamaran was eight nautical miles from M/V Verbena and did not respond to distress call”.

The M/V Verbena, a Palau-flagged bulk carrier, issued a distress call on Thursday due to a fire on board after being hit by two cruise missiles fired by the Houthis, CENTCOM said. A sailor was seriously injured in the attack and evacuated by US forces. Ukrainian-owned and Polish-owned Verbena had already suffered another missile attack less than 24 hours earlier.

Since November, the Iran-backed Houthis have targeted ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea in what they say is a sign of solidarity with Hamas terrorists in Gaza. These attacks, which severely disrupt maritime trade, have increased in recent days. On Wednesday, another cargo ship, the M/V Tutor, was abandoned by its crew due to a major leak caused by a missile fired from near the Houthi-held Yemeni city of Hodeidah.United Kingdom maritime trade activities, a company of the British Navy. The ship is currently floating in the Red Sea.