New Delhi, August 11: The Houthi group launched an attack on a commercial ship passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait on Tuesday. A Yemeni media outlet, supportive of the government, reported that three crew members lost their lives in the incident.
Initial reports from the government-backed Al-Joumhouria TV indicated that the victims included two Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national.
Details about the ship’s identity and the weapons used in the attack have not been disclosed. There is currently no information regarding the extent of damage to the ship or the condition of the remaining crew members.
According to news agency Xinhua, the Houthi rebels have yet to comment on the attack.
This incident comes amid a rise in Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the waters near Yemen, alongside missile and drone strikes targeting government areas in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, on July 20, the Houthis announced a ban on shipping linked to Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, labeling it as part of the Saudi blockade of Houthi-controlled areas.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government stated on Monday that it would respond continuously to Houthi attacks. The increasing wave of missile and drone strikes in government-held areas has heightened the risk of large-scale conflict.
As reported by the state-run Saba News Agency, Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), asserted that government forces are now better prepared to confront this new escalation and will not allow the Houthis to dictate the timing and scope of military confrontations.
During a meeting in Riyadh with ambassadors from countries supporting Yemen’s political process, al-Alimi emphasized that the government had attempted to maintain peace following a UN-mediated ceasefire in 2022. However, it would not allow the Houthis to exploit this peace for unprovoked attacks.
Saba News Agency quoted al-Alimi stating, “The government did not initiate this escalation, nor did it demand it.”
He noted that recent attacks indicate a shift in military and political conditions. Attacks in Marib, Hadramaut, and the western coast will no longer come without consequences.
His comments followed a surge in Houthi attacks on government forces and infrastructure in the oil-rich provinces of Marib, Hadramaut, and Shabwa, as well as the coastal city of Mocha.
Yemen has been embroiled in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized control of much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sana’a. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to support the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
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