A cargo vessel operating under Egyptian ownership sustained a fatal attack in the Bab al-Mandeb strait on Tuesday, resulting in at least six deaths and ten injuries according to Yemen’s government. The incident represents the first casualty event among commercial shipping linked to Houthi activity since hostilities between the United States and Israel against Iran commenced in late February.
The Tihamah came under fire when Houthi forces deployed three ballistic missiles at the commercial ship, igniting a severe fire that caused substantial structural damage. Among the fatalities were three Pakistani citizens and one Indonesian national. During subsequent rescue and evacuation efforts, the rebel group launched an additional missile strike that killed at least two military personnel responding to the initial assault.
Yemen’s government strongly condemned the attack and urged the international community to transition beyond rhetorical responses toward concrete intervention against the Houthis. While the Iranian-aligned group provided no immediate statement, their affiliated news organization claimed responsibility for targeting a Saudi vessel carrying military cargo in the same waterway, though the vessel was not identified.
The escalation follows the breakdown of a UN-brokered truce that had held since 2022. Tensions heightened after Saudi airstrikes damaged Sanaa airport’s runway on July 13, prompting Houthis to initiate a Red Sea shipping blockade and launch retaliatory strikes against Saudi infrastructure and government-controlled Yemeni territories.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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