Agencies | Sana:
At least six people were killed after an Egyptian-owned cargo ship was struck in suspected Houthi attacks near the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen’s southern coast on Tuesday, according to Yemen’s coastguard.
If confirmed, the incident would mark the first reported fatalities resulting from a Houthi attack on commercial shipping since the outbreak of the Iran war. The Houthis had not claimed responsibility for the strikes at the time of reporting.
The attack on the cargo vessel, Tihamah, is the latest in a series of incidents targeting shipping near the entrance to the Red Sea, where maritime security risks have intensified since the Houthis announced a blockade targeting Saudi Arabia last month.
According to Yemen’s internationally recognised government, four crew members were killed in the initial strike, while two members of the rescue forces died when the vessel was allegedly hit again during an evacuation operation.
The coastguard said the first strike triggered a fire aboard the ship and caused extensive damage, resulting in casualties among the crew. Those killed included three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national, it said.
“The initial salvo targeting the ship caused a fire to break out aboard the vessel and inflicted extensive damage, in addition to causing deaths and injuries among its crew, including three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national killed,” the coastguard said in a statement.
A second strike reportedly hit the vessel while rescue teams were carrying out evacuation operations, killing two rescue personnel and injuring others.
“The attack struck the site of the rescue operation and resulted in deaths and injuries among the forces participating in the response operation,” the coastguard added.
The coastguard said at least 10 people were injured in the two strikes.
Yemen’s Transport Ministry also blamed the Houthis for the attack but reported a lower death toll of four. In its statement, the ministry held the Houthi group responsible for the deaths, injuries and extensive damage caused to the commercial vessel.
The ministry said it “held the Houthi terrorist militias fully responsible for the deaths, injuries and damage inflicted on the commercial vessel Tihamah, as well as for the serious consequences resulting from these attacks.”
The incident has further heightened concerns over the safety of commercial shipping in and around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategically vital maritime passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serving as a key route for global trade and energy shipments.
