Six killed in Houthi attack on ship in Bab al-Mandeb strait, Yemen says
Six crew members of an Egyptian-owned cargo ship have been killed in a Houthi attack in the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Yemen’s internationally recognised government has said, according to Al Jazeera. The bulk carrier Tihamah became the first vessel to suffer fatal casualties in the rebel group’s campaign against Red Sea shipping since the Israel-United States-Iran confrontation escalated.
The Bab al-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors, channelling a significant share of global trade between Europe, Asia and the Suez Canal. The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, began targeting commercial shipping in the waterway in late 2023, saying the attacks were a response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
A widening maritime campaign
The Houthi campaign has already forced major shipping companies to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks and substantial costs to global supply chains. A multinational naval coalition led by the United States and the United Kingdom has conducted strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen in response, though the rebels have continued to launch missiles and drones at vessels they accuse of being linked to Israel or its allies.
Yemen has been mired in civil war since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, drawing in a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting to restore the internationally recognised government. The latest escalation comes against a backdrop of renewed regional hostilities, with the Houthis framing their maritime operations as part of a broader confrontation with Israel and its partners.
The deaths of the Tihamah’s crew are likely to intensify international pressure on the group and renew calls for a coordinated naval response to secure one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Sources
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