US Central Command says Houthis attacked two cargo ships

On June 14, local time, the U.S. Central Command issued a statement on its social media platform saying that the Houthis used an unmanned surface vessel (USV) to attack a bulk carrier flying the Liberian flag, owned and operated by Greece on the 12th, causing water to enter the hull and serious damage to the cabin. Another civilian sailor is missing. The statement said that on the 13th, the Houthis attacked the bulk carrier “Verbena” flying the Palau flag, owned by Ukraine and operated by Poland. The attack caused the ship to catch fire, and a civilian sailor was treated for serious injuries. The fire on the “Verbena” has been extinguished and has resumed transit in the Gulf of Aden. On the evening of June 13, local time, Yemeni Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a speech that in the past 24 hours, the Houthis launched three attacks on ships that violated the Houthis’ navigation ban. The first missile attacked the “Verbena” freighter in the Arabian Sea, causing the ship to catch fire. The second attacked the “Ocean Guardian” freighter in the Red Sea. The third attack was on the cargo ship Athena in the Red Sea.