Six killed in Houthi missile attack on cargo ship in Red Sea
Six people were killed and 10 injured in a Houthi attack on a cargo ship south of Yemen’s port of Mocha, the internationally recognised government said.
Mocha, Yemen. Six people were killed and 10 injured after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis attacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea, according to Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
The incident appeared to be the group’s first deadly attack on shipping since the Iran war began.
Missile strikes
The Yemeni transport ministry said the vessel was hit by three ballistic missiles south of Mocha on Tuesday, causing a fire and killing four crew members: three Pakistanis and one Indonesian.
Yemen’s coastguard said a second missile strike reportedly targeted rescuers who had arrived to evacuate the crew.
Conflicting descriptions
The Houthis said they had attacked a ship carrying Saudi military equipment.
Yemen’s transport ministry described the vessel as a “Yemeni commercial ship”, while Iranian media referred to it as “Saudi affiliated”.
Maritime risk management company Vanguard said Yemeni naval personnel deployed to assist the vessel came under fire, with three people injured.
Regional tensions
The attack followed the Houthis’ announcement of a naval blockade of Saudi ports last month.
The group controls much of northwestern Yemen and has frequently clashed with the internationally recognised government, which is based in Aden.
Regional tensions have also risen after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
The latest attack came after the collapse last month of a years-long truce between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
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