Pakistan: Three nationals killed in Houthi Red Sea vessel attack

Pakistan confirmed on Wednesday that three of its nationals were killed in an attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated that another Pakistani national sustained injuries during the incident.

"Pakistan strongly condemns the Houthi attack on a non-combatant commercial vessel," Dar said in a post on X. He added that such attacks endanger innocent lives, violate international law, and threaten freedom of navigation, maritime security, and the safety of commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry is coordinating with Saudi Arabia and Yemen to gather further details. The Pakistani Embassy in Riyadh is also working on the retrieval and repatriation of the bodies of the deceased nationals. The incident occurred as the US and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels reported separate attacks on shipping in the region.

On Tuesday, Yemen's Transport Ministry reported that a suspected Houthi attack on a small cargo vessel killed four crew members. It remains unclear if this was the same vessel mentioned by Pakistan's Foreign Minister. Commercial shipping and seafarers in the Middle East have faced increasing attacks from both the US and Iran since the conflict began earlier this year.

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Pakistan strongly condemns the Houthi attack on a non-combatant commercial vessel. Such attacks endanger innocent lives, constitute a violation of international law, and pose a serious threat to freedom of navigation, maritime security, and the safety of commercial shipping in the Red Sea.