Crew members killed for first time in Houthi attack on commercial ship in Red Sea, US officials say

CNN —

A Houthi ballistic missile attack on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden resulted in at least two fatalities among the crew members, two US officials told CNN, marking the first time that the Iran-backed militant group has killed anyone as part of their ongoing attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea.

The attack struck the M/V True Confidence, a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier, the officials said. The ship has since been abandoned and coalition warships are now in the area assessing the situation, the officials said. At least six other crew members were injured, one of the officials said.

The attack happened around 11:30 am Sana’a time, or around 3:30 a.m. ET, one of the officials said. The strike marks a significant escalation of the Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which began in October in response to Israel’s war in Gaza.

The Houthis have launched more than 45 missile and drone attacks against commercial and US and coalition Naval vessels operating in the Red Sea, according to US and western officials, most of which have been intercepted by US or coalition destroyers or landed harmlessly in the water.

To date, no military vessels have been impacted by Houthi UAVs or missiles, according to Defense Department spokesperson Maj. Pete Nguyen. But more than a dozen commercial ships, including several US vessels, have been hit since October, Nguyen said.

The US and UK have also carried out four rounds of strikes against Houthi targets inside Yemen since January, hitting targets including weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, air defense systems, radars, and helicopters used by the rebel group.

US Central Command forces have also