This tragic incident the first civilian casualties in a series of attacks launched by the Iranian-backed Houthis terrorist group on merchant and navy vessels in the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November.

The experienced maritime expert Sal Mercogliano shared the timeline of Houthi attack on his X page. It can be easily observed that the crew tried to avoid any attack from Houthis by changing their route.

The statement was published by CENTCOM is below:

“At approximately 11:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) Mar. 6, an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) was launched from Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen toward M/V True Confidence, a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier, while transiting the Gulf of Aden. The missile struck the vessel, and the multinational crew reports three fatalities, at least four injuries, of which three are in critical condition, and significant damage to the ship.

The crew abandoned the ship and coalition warships responded and are assessing the situation.

This is the fifth ASBM fired by Houthis in the last two days. Two of these ASBMs impacted two shipping vessels - M/V MSC Sky II and M/V True Confidence - and one ASBM was shot down by USS Carney (DDG 64).

These reckless attacks by the Houthis have disrupted global trade and taken the lives of international seafarers.”