Yemen coastguard confirms six dead in Houthi strike on ship in Red Sea

A deadly Houthi strike on a ship in the Red Sea killed six people on Tuesday near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait off southern Yemen.

The Iran-backed rebels launched consecutive missile strikes targeting the cargo vessel Tihamah and subsequent rescue teams during an ongoing naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.

What happened during the Houthi strike on ship in Red Sea?

The initial missile strike set the cargo ship Tihamah on fire, killing three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian sailor. A second missile hit rescue forces attempting to evacuate the burning vessel, killing two Yemeni coastguard members and injuring ten others during emergency rescue operations near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Yemen's internationally recognized government transport ministry initially reported four casualties before coastguard officials updated the total death toll. Government representatives condemned the Houthi militia for inflicting catastrophic damage on civilian maritime commerce and threatening vital trade corridors. Houthi leadership has not issued an official statement regarding the double-strike incident.

The fatal attack follows the recent breakdown of a United Nations-backed ceasefire that maintained relative calm across Yemen since 2022. Escalating regional hostilities between Iran and the United States prompted Houthi forces to declare a naval blockade against Saudi Arabian ports. Rebel forces have repeatedly targeted commercial tankers in the Red Sea alongside Iranian blockade efforts in the Strait of Hormuz.

Why are Houthi rebels attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea?

Houthi fighters launched a maritime campaign to enforce a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia amid escalating Middle Eastern conflict. Rebel forces claim their missile strikes target vessels connected to Saudi ports or hostile Western allies navigating regional shipping lanes. These strikes severely disrupt global trade flowing through the critical Bab al-Mandeb gateway.

According to reports from Reuters, international naval forces operate throughout the region to protect commercial shipping corridors from persistent drone and missile threats. The loss of control aboard the Tihamah underscores growing dangers for merchant sailors navigating southern Red Sea routes. Coalition partners continue assessing security measures to safeguard rescue personnel and commercial crews from secondary strikes.