Cargo Ship Attacked in Red Sea

A cargo ship sustained a direct hit from an unidentified projectile in the southern Red Sea, leading to fatalities among its crew. Sources within Yemen's coast guard and two government military officials reported to Reuters that the small cargo vessel, located in the Bab el Mandeb strait, was attacked by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Three crew members were confirmed dead.

Rescued crew members were subsequently hit by a second projectile during the rescue operation, though casualty figures for this secondary impact were not immediately available. This attack occurs in the wake of the collapse of a multi-year truce in Yemen's civil war between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government, supported by Saudi Arabia. Fighting has intensified since the truce's failure.

The UN-brokered 2022 agreement collapsed after the Houthis imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia and attacked its tankers in the Red Sea, as well as the kingdom's oil infrastructure. The Houthis claimed these actions were a response to Saudi Arabia's alleged siege, a claim Riyadh denies.

While the Houthis have not yet claimed responsibility for the latest attack, sources in Yemen stated that two Pakistanis traveling from Salalah, Oman, via Djibouti, and one Indonesian national were killed. The ongoing attacks on ships in the Bab el Mandeb strait exacerbate the uncertainty for shipping companies, which are already facing significant challenges due to Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

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We managed to save the remaining crew members.