Yemen’s internationally recognised government says at least six people were killed and 10 wounded when Houthi rebels carried out a double-tap missile attack on the Egyptian-owned cargo ship Tihamah in the Bab al-Mandeb strait on Tuesday.
The attack is the first shipping incident linked to the Iran-aligned Houthis to result in deaths since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28, according to the supplied report.
What Yemen says happened
Yemen’s Transport Ministry said the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at the commercial vessel, starting a fire and causing significant damage. It said three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national were among those killed.
Yemen’s coastguard said a further missile was fired while rescue personnel were evacuating the dead and wounded. The second strike hit the rescue operation, killing at least two troops and contributing to the total of 10 wounded, including seven crew members.
Related coverage: Yemen faces renewed war threat after Houthi attacks.
Conflicting accounts of the ship
The Houthi-run news agency Saba reported that the group had attacked a Saudi ship carrying military equipment in Bab al-Mandeb, but it did not identify the vessel. There was no immediate Saudi response, and the Houthis had not issued official comment on Yemen’s government’s account.
Yemen’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack and urged the international community to move beyond condemnation toward effective action against the Houthis.
Why the attack matters
The incident follows the collapse of a United Nations-backed truce in Yemen’s civil war. The years-long truce, reached in 2022, broke down after a Saudi air strike hit the runway at Sanaa airport on July 13, preventing an Iranian flight carrying a high-ranking Houthi delegation from landing.
More context: New Houthi missile and drone attacks hit al-Makha.
The Houthis subsequently attacked Abha airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia and announced a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea. They have also attacked Saudi vessels and oil facilities, while the Saudi-led coalition has struck Houthi-controlled Hodeidah and Kamaran.
Wider escalation in Yemen
Yemen’s government said the Houthis launched 10 missiles and four drones at sites along the country’s western coast on Tuesday. The Houthis said their ballistic missile and drone attacks targeted Saudi military buildups, weapons depots and command posts in al-Makha and Marib.
The United Nations has called for restraint, warning that renewed hostilities could draw Yemen into a broader regional confrontation with devastating consequences for its people.
Also read: Yemen counterattacks Houthi positions as Marib violence rises.
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