Clio the cat, ? July 1997 - 1 May 2016
A United States-owned cargo ship attack by the Yemeni Houthis (Ansar Allah) on March 6 has caught fire and some of its crew were killed or wounded.
The Houthis military spokesman, Brigade General Yahya Sarea, said in a statement that the Barbados-flagged True Confidence was targeted in the Gulf of Aden with “a number of suitable naval missiles” in support of the “oppressed Palestinian people” and in response to “American and British aggression” against Yemen.
“The targeting operation came after the ship’s crew rejected warning messages from the Yemeni naval forces,” the spokesman said, advising all ships to respond to the calls of the group and calling on crews to quickly evacuate if they were hit.
The attack on True Confidence was first reported by the British security firm Ambrey and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a Royal Navy detachment that watches over Middle East waterways, also reported the incident.
Following the Houthis’ announcement, U.S. officials confirmed to CNN that the ship was struck by anti-ship ballistic missiles launched from Yemen.
Two of True Confidence’s crew were killed and six others were injured, according to the officials, who said that the ship has since been abandoned and U.S.-led coalition warships are now in the area assessing the situation.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have targeted dozens of Israel-affiliated vessels and others owned by the U.S. and the United Kingdom in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 19 in response to the ongoing Israeli war and siege on the Palestinian Gaza Strip.
The attack on True Confidencen marked the first time that the group has killed anyone as part of their ongoing naval operations.
The U.S. and the UK have already struck more than 200 targets in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen in an attempt to deter the group, who only demanded the end of siege and war on Gaza. The use of force has not only failed to deter the group, but also made the situation way more complicated for shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The last working-class hero in England.
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