South24 Center (Aden)

At least three crew members of a commercial vessel were killed on Tuesday (August 11) after the ship came under attack in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, in an incident that Yemeni authorities said was caused by a Houthi missile strike.

British maritime security firm Ambrey identified the vessel as Tihamah and said it was targeted while anchored northeast of Perim Island, also known as Mayun, near the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), meanwhile, said it had received a report that the vessel had been struck by an “unknown projectile.”

Reports differed over the number of fatalities.

Reuters, citing Yemeni sources, reported that two Pakistani crew members and one Indonesian were killed.

The sources said the crew lost control of the vessel following the attack before the Yemeni Coast Guard approached to provide assistance. British maritime risk management firm Vanguard also said Yemeni forces subsequently came under fire.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government, however, reported a higher death toll. A statement by Yemen’s Ministry of Transport said four crew members were killed and that the Houthis had fired three ballistic missiles at what the ministry described as a Yemeni commercial vessel.

Local media sources had earlier reported that three crew members, including two Pakistanis and an Indonesian, were killed. They also said a Houthi missile targeted an operation to rescue the vessel’s crew after the ship was hit.

The sources said the attack occurred while Coast Guard personnel were attempting to assist the crew.

Reuters said Tihamah is owned by Egyptian interests and is neither owned nor operated by Saudi interests. It said the vessel had departed the government-held port of Mokha on Saturday.

Shipping data from LSEG, cited by Reuters, also listed Egyptian companies as the vessel’s owners and managers.

So far, the Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the group has sharply escalated its maritime campaign in recent weeks and announced on July 20 what it described as a “maritime blockade” against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, accusing Riyadh of continuing to impose a blockade on Yemen.

The incident coincided with renewed Houthi missile and drone attacks on Mokha, a major Red Sea port controlled by the National Resistance Forces led by Tariq Saleh, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council.

Local military sources said the Houthis targeted Mokha and Marib with missiles and drones on Tuesday, following another major wave of attacks on the port over the weekend.

Yemeni Transport Minister Mohsen Haidara Al-Omari said on Sunday that Mokha Port had been subjected to at least 25 missile and drone strikes, causing extensive damage to its economic and civilian infrastructure.

The ministry later convened a meeting of its High Emergency Committee and instructed ports, airports and land crossings to raise their readiness levels and prepare alternative operational plans to ensure the continuity of transport services in the event of further attacks.

The latest incident also followed two other maritime attacks near Mokha. On August 7, the Ministry of Transport said an explosive-laden boat attempted to approach an oil tanker anchored at the port before being intercepted and destroyed by maritime patrols belonging to the National Resistance Forces.

Several days earlier, the ministry said the Indian cargo vessel MSV Faize Noore Oliya 1451 sank following a Houthi explosive-boat attack while sailing toward Mokha. All 14 crew members were rescued by the Yemeni Coast Guard and naval forces.