The crew reported at least two deaths and six injuries.
A missile fired from Yemen hit a Barbados-flagged commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden, according to a US official.
The damage is considered “significant”.
As for the crew, they “abandoned ship” and were rescued according to the maritime safety agency UKMTO, run by the British army.
The “coalition forces” would have intervened.
The British maritime security company Ambrey initially reported an explosion near the bulk carrier, belonging to Liberian interests, when it was 57 nautical miles (105 km) southwest of the Yemeni city of Aden.
Incessant attacks
The United States in December established a multinational force off the coast of Yemen tasked with protecting commercial shipping against attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels.
These insurgents close to Iran have since November targeted ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that they consider linked to Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in the context of the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
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Their attacks have forced many shipowners to suspend passage through these important shipping lanes.
According to the International Monetary Fund, container shipping through the Red Sea and Suez Canal fell by almost 30% year-on-year.
Before the war, between 12 and 15% of global traffic passed through this axis, according to the European Union.
On Tuesday, the US military said it had shot down a missile and three drones from Yemeni rebels that were targeting a US Navy destroyer in the Red Sea.
The day before, the Houthis had attacked a container ship from the Italian-Swiss shipowner MSC, claiming that it was an “Israeli ship”.