Houthi attack kills 4 crew members aboard cargo ship in Red Sea
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Pres) – Four crew members were killed on Tuesday when Iran-backed Houthi forces attacked an Egyptian-owned cargo ship in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, while two Yemeni rescuers were also killed in a subsequent attack, Yemeni authorities said.
The vessel, the Tihamah, was attacked while anchored northeast of Perim Island, according to British maritime security company Ambrey. Yemen’s Transport Ministry said four crew members were killed, while the Coast Guard reported that two rescuers from the anti-Houthi National Resistance Forces were also killed when the Houthis struck again after rescue teams arrived.
Three of the dead crew members were Pakistani nationals, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister said. Yemen’s Transport Ministry identified the fourth as Indonesian and said the crew lost control of the vessel following the attack.
Ten people were injured, including seven crew members, two Coast Guard personnel and one member of the National Resistance Forces, according to the Yemeni Coast Guard.
The Houthis later confirmed that they had attacked a ship in the Bab al-Mandeb, saying it was carrying Saudi military equipment. They did not identify the vessel by name.
The British navy-affiliated UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported an incident in the strait on Tuesday, saying a ship had been struck by an unknown projectile.
Reuters independently verified that the targeted vessel was the Tihamah by comparing images of the ship’s deck and mast with archival imagery. Ship-tracking data also placed the vessel near Murad, Yemen, on Aug. 11. Yemeni Coast Guard sources and government military officials confirmed the attack, while Ambrey separately reported the incident.
The attack marks the first reported deaths from a Houthi strike on commercial shipping since the US-Iran war began on Feb. 28, if the fatalities are confirmed.
The Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea on July 20, citing what they described as a Saudi blockade of Yemen. Riyadh has denied imposing a siege on the country.
The attack adds to growing risks for commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, a key global maritime route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.