Aden, Yemen - A Houthi missile attack on a Liberian-owned cargo ship off southern Yemen resulted in the deaths of three crew members and injuries to four others, the US military said on Wednesday.

This marks the first fatalities among a commercial shipping crew since the militants began launching their attacks last year in retaliation to Israel's relentless assault on Gaza.

The vessel was hit and damaged by an anti-ship ballistic missile on Wednesday, south-west of the port city of Aden, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

The crew of the Barbados-flagged True Confidence abandoned ship. The bulk carrier is now adrift at sea.

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"The multinational crew reports three fatalities, at least four injuries, of which three are in critical condition, and significant damage to the ship," CENTCOM said in a statement.

The Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen quickly claimed responsibility.

This was the fifth anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Houthis in the last two days, per CENTCOM.

The command also said that later on Wednesday it struck "two unmanned aerial vehicles in a Houthi controlled area of Yemen that presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region."

The Houthis say they want to force an end to the attacks and ensure the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid into the strip.

Major shipping companies are now avoiding the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe and sailing around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

Several Western countries, including the US and the UK, have regularly bombed Yemen in response.