A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi movement on a Saudi commercial vessel transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has killed three crew members—two Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian—marking the first reported fatalities among seafarers since the group escalated its Red Sea campaign.
The assault was first reported Tuesday morning by Saudi-owned Al Hadath and later confirmed by Yemeni coast guard sources and military officials, according to Reuters.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) subsequently verified that a cargo ship had been struck by an unidentified projectile off the coast of Al Mokha, Yemen, and noted that an investigation is underway.g
Pakistani officials and the Arab media reports have not disclosed identities of the victims.
A Saudi commercial ship was reportedly hit by a missile in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, with three crew members killed, including two Pakistanis and one Indonesian.
Source: ISNA pic.twitter.com/7YkrIxvMao
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 11, 2026
The incident occurred in the midst of ongoing U.S.-Iran war — which is currently paused to give space to negotiators to resolve the conflict but has flared up tensions between regional countries, particularly Iran and Saudi Arabia. Iran and its proxies in Iraq and Yemen have been accused of attacking Saudi targets while the Gulf countries are accused of aiding U.S. strikes against Iran
While initial broadcaster reports did not name the vessel, Reuters, citing Yemeni coast guard and military sources, identified it as the Tihamah, a small, Tanzania-flagged cargo ship en route from Salalah, Oman, to Djibouti. The vessel’s ownership has not yet been publicly disclosed.
The attack occurred in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—a critical maritime choke point linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, through which a significant share of Asia-Europe trade flows.
🔴 Yemen’s Houthis struck the cargo ship Tihamah in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait with three ballistic missiles, the transport ministry says, adding that three Pakistanis and an Indonesian were killed and four others were injured
🔴 The Houthis launched a fourth missile during… pic.twitter.com/vhQFz7Nltf
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) August 11, 2026
Since late 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted commercial shipping in the region, framing their operations as solidarity with Palestinians and specifically singling out vessels they associate with Israel, the United States, or allied nations. The campaign, which has involved missiles, drones, and other munitions, has disrupted global shipping lanes and forced numerous carriers to reroute via the longer Cape of Good Hope.
In a parallel incident on Tuesday, UKMTO also reported an attack on a container ship in the Gulf of Oman—initially misidentified as a tanker—which maritime security sources believe was struck by a missile roughly 71 nautical miles off the coast of Pakistan. The Panama-flagged Vela Nova was identified as the vessel in that separate event.
The latest fatalities underscore mounting concerns over the safety of civilian maritime crews and the growing volatility along one of the world’s most vital sea corridors, even as the Houthis continue to extend their strikes to Saudi-linked shipping and targets within Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Kiran Asim is a writer who covers the U.S., Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. Her reports and analyses look at the geostrategic issues and contemporary developments and their economic and political implications. She also writes about society and education.
