A US-linked bulk carrier has been hit in a suspected Houthi missile attack in the Gulf of Aden with some crew members spotted in lifeboats after abandoning the ship.
Seafarers in the area reported a loud bang and a large plume of smoke after the Barbados-flagged ship was struck and damaged, according to security reports.
A US defence official and security reports identified the vessel as the 50,448-dwt True Confidence (built 2011).