A Houthi assault on a cargo ship in the Red Sea has resulted in three deaths, marking the first time the group has killed anyone in maritime strikes since the regional conflict involving Iran began. According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre, a projectile struck the vessel south of the Yemeni port of Mocha.
Reports identify the vessel as the Tihamah, a Tanzanian-flagged ship. Yemeni media sources suggest that two of the deceased were crew members from Pakistan and Indonesia. A third individual, whose nationality remains unconfirmed, died when a government rescue vessel was fired upon during an attempt to provide aid.
BBC Verify has confirmed images showing damage to the Tihamah in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The Houthis, who maintain a strong alliance with Iran, initiated these shipping attacks last month as part of a declared naval blockade. This escalation follows the breakdown of a long-standing truce in the Yemeni civil war between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government.
