Four people were injured, and three were killed when Houthi rebels used Yemeni missiles to strike the merchant vessel True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden. The United States military said on Wednesday that the crew had to abandon the ship, which is now at risk of sinking.

United States officials described the True Confidence as “damaged but has not sunk yet.”

Houthi rebels began targeting Israeli-linked ships in late October, protesting the military operation against the Palestinians in Gaza. They added American and British ships in January after the two countries launched air and missile strikes against Yemen. Strikes by the West have failed to stop the Houthis from attacking ships in the Red Sea.

Houthi Attack: A Cargo Ship Carrying 21,000 Metric Tons Of Fertilizer Sank In The Red Sea

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree confirmed the attack on Wednesday evening, saying that the True Confidence was struck “after the ship’s crew ignored the Yemeni naval forces’ warning messages.”

“The strike was precise, by the grace of Allah, leading to a fire outbreak on board,” Saree said.

He also warned all ships “to respond to the calls of the Yemeni naval forces, and all crews of the targeted ships must quickly depart after the first strike.” -RT

According to two Pentagon officials who spoke to the press on condition of anonymity, there were no Americans on board the True Confidence.

Maritime tracking showed the True Confidence on approach to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday evening before making a sharp turn back towards the Gulf of Aden. The vessel was registered in Liberia, which is a popular flag of convenience for merchant ships, but its owner has been reported as the US-based multinational Oaktree Capital Management LLC.

Most Western shipping companies have rerouted their traffic around Africa in response to the Houthi attacks, which have driven up insurance premiums.

Red Sea Attack: Crew Abandons Cargo Ship After Houthi Rebels Strike It With Missiles

Will the U.S. respond with more strikes on Yemen as a retaliatory response further escalating an already tense war?