Four crew members were killed in an attack by Iran-backed Houthis on a small cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb strait yesterday, Yemen’s transport ministry said, while sources reported a missile attack on a container ship off Pakistan in a suspected US strike.
The fatalities aboard the Egyptian-owned Tihamah, if confirmed, would mark the first deaths in a Houthi strike on shipping since the Iran war began on February 28. The Houthis have not claimed the attack.
Three Pakistanis and one Indonesian were killed, the Yemeni ministry said, adding the crew lost control of the vessel after being attacked.
Three coastguard personnel were injured after being targeted by a drone while trying to rescue the crew, Yemeni military sources said.
The Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea on July 20 in response to what they described as a Saudi siege. Riyadh denies that Yemen is under siege.
The ship was hit by an unknown projectile, according to a report received by the British navy-affiliated agency UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The incident occurred while the ship was at anchor northeast of Perim Island, Yemen, British maritime security group Ambrey said.
Separately, the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was struck by a missile in an attack off Pakistan while sailing into the Gulf of Oman, maritime security sources told Reuters.
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