The Barbados-flagged bulk carrier True Confidence was attacked in the Gulf of Aden. Reuters reports that as a result of the attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, three crew members are missing, and four others sustained serious injuries. The crew abandoned the ship.
According to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, before the attack, individuals claiming to be Yemeni military contacted the crew.
Per gCaptain reports, the shipowner states that the bulk carrier, built in 2011, was hit by a missile, assumed to be launched by Houthi militants in Yemen. The vessel had a crew of 20 (one Indian, four Vietnamese, and 15 Filipino nationals) and three armed guards (two Sri Lankan and one Nepalese national). The company has no information about the fate of the crew members. The vessel is drifting, with a fire continuing onboard.
True Confidence was on passage from China to Jeddah and Aqaba with a cargo of steel products and trucks.
Two American sources reported that there were casualties among the crew members of the attacked bulk carrier.
The British Embassy in Yemen reported that at least two crew members of True Confidence have died.
At least 2 innocent sailors have died. This was the sad but inevitable consequence of the Houthis recklessly firing missiles at international shipping.
— BritishEmbassySanaa (@UKinYemen) March 6, 2024
They must stop.
Our deepest condolences are with the families of those that have died and those that were wounded. https://t.co/m1chfLddHR
