Vietnam has denounced the Houthis' deadly attack on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden as "violent and inhumane." A Vietnamese sailor was among the three victims of Wednesday's strike by the Yemeni rebels.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang urged relevant parties to immediately cease the use of force and ensure security, safety and freedom for international sea-lanes.

The US Central Command said an anti-ship ballistic missile hit the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier True Confidence.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they struck a US vessel with multiple missiles in waters off Yemen's coast, setting it ablaze.

The other victims were Filipinos. Philippine authorities say two more of their nationals were seriously hurt.
India's navy staged a rescue operation and evacuated the crew, including an Indian citizen.

Houthi militants have been targeting ships in and around the Red Sea since November. Wednesday's incident was first to claim lives. The group says it's mounting the campaign to show solidarity with Hamas in its conflict against Israel in the Gaza Strip. The US and other countries have carried out retaliatory strikes against Houthi bases.