Houthi Attack on Cargo Ship in Bab el-Mandeb Kills Four Crew Members

Houthi Attack on Cargo Ship in Bab el-Mandeb Kills Four Crew Members

New Delhi: Four crew members were killed after Iran-backed Houthi militants attacked the Egyptian-owned cargo ship Tihamah in Yemen's Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday, according to Yemeni authorities and Reuters.

The four crew members killed in the attack included three Pakistanis and one Indonesian national. The incident could mark the first fatal Houthi attack on commercial shipping since the Iran war began on February 28.

According to Yemeni authorities, the vessel came under attack while sailing through the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key maritime route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

Two rescuers affiliated with the anti-Houthi National Resistance Forces were also killed when the Houthis allegedly launched another strike after rescue teams reached the damaged vessel, Reuters reported.

Ten people were injured in the attacks, including seven crew members, two Coast Guard personnel and one member of the National Resistance Forces.

The attack has raised fresh concerns over maritime security in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world's major shipping corridors. The waterway has remained a focus of regional tensions as the wider conflict involving Iran and its allies continues.

The Houthis have previously targeted commercial shipping in the region, citing their involvement in the wider Middle East conflict. The latest attack could further increase risks for vessels using the Red Sea route.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions across key maritime routes in the Middle East, with shipping activity also disrupted around the Strait of Hormuz.