The waters off Yemen are becoming a graveyard for the victims of the Houthis’ military campaign. Interred in the sea is the Rubymar, a fertilizer carrier struck by an anti-ballistic missile 30km offshore Mocha on 18 February causing the crew to abandon ship as it took on water (MEES, 23 February). After finally sinking on 2 March, the vessel and its cargo now sit at the bottom of the Red Sea, but this was only a precursor for what occurred four days later.
On 6 February the Houthis fired another anti-ballistic missile, this time at the bulk carrier True Confidence as it was sailing 100km southwest of Aden on its way to the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah. Striking the vessel, the missile killed one Vietnamese and two Filippino crew members and critically injured another four, according to a statement from US Central Command (Centcom). (CONTINUED - 861 WORDS)