A small cargo vessel flying the Tanzanian flag was attacked on Tuesday in the Bab el-Mandeb strait by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces, resulting in the deaths of three crew members, Yemeni coast guard and government military officials.
If verified, these casualties would mark the first fatalities caused by a Houthi strike on a ship since the conflict in the Middle East intensified following US-Israeli attacks on Iran at the end of February.
In a significant development last month, the Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, citing what they described as a Saudi siege on Yemen. Riyadh has denied imposing any such blockade.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported that a cargo vessel near the Yemeni coast of al-Mokha was struck by an unidentified projectile, causing casualties among the crew. British maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed that the ship was targeted and damaged by the Houthis while anchored 3.3 nautical miles northeast of Perim Island, Yemen.
The attack claimed the lives of two Pakistani and one Indonesian crew members. The ship had been en route from Salalah in Oman, passing through Djibouti, when the incident occurred. Following the strike, the crew lost control of the vessel and were subsequently approached by the Yemeni coast guard.
Attacks on maritime traffic in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have heightened concerns for shipping companies, which are already facing challenges due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Data from Kpler indicated that last week, an average of 32 ships transited the Bab el-Mandeb daily, down from 50 ships per day before the blockade was imposed.
Ambrey also noted that the vessel was neither Saudi-owned nor operated at the time of the attack and had departed from al-Mokha on the preceding Saturday. Attempts to reach the Egyptian company listed as the owner and manager of the Tihamah for comment were unsuccessful.
