A mariner was severely injured on Thursday after two anti-ship cruise missiles launched by Yemen's Houthis struck a Ukrainian-owned vessel in the Gulf of Aden, the US military said.
The bulk cargo carrier M/V Verbena reported damage and subsequent fires on board, which the crew is continuing to fight, the US military's Central Command said. The injured mariner was medically evacuated from the ship, it said.
Aircraft from the USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) medically evacuated the wounded mariner to a US military partner ship nearby for medical attention, according to CENTCOM.
M/V Verbena was on its way to Italy carrying wood construction material. The ship reported damage and fires on board.
The US military said later that it destroyed two Houthi patrol boats, one uncrewed surface vessel and one drone over the Red Sea.
The Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea, the US Central Command said in a statement, adding there was no damage or injuries from those missiles.
In addition, Yemen's Houthis targeted the Verbena ship in the Arabian Sea, as well as the Seaguardian ship and Athina ship in the Red Sea, the Iran-aligned group's military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised speech on Thursday.
Destroying Houthi ammunition
On Wednesday, CENTCOM announced that it had destroyed three anti-ship cruise missile launchers, and one unmanned aerial system that had been launched, both in a part of Houthi-controlled Yemen over the Red Sea.
Separately, one Houthi unmanned surface vessel struck M/V Tutor, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned and operated vessel, in the Red Sea on the same day. M/V Tutor most recently docked in Russia. The impact of the USV caused severe flooding and damage to the engine room.
Furthermore, the Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles from Yemen in another incident, however no American, coalition, or commercial ships reported anyone wounded or any damage towards the ships in this incident.
The Houthis have been attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea since November in order to support Hamas in the war against Israel, the terrorist organization claims.