A cargo ship navigating the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait near the southern coast of Yemen was hit by a projectile, leading to a tragic loss of life among its crew. British maritime security firm Vanguard reported that at least two sailors—one from Pakistan and one from Indonesia—were killed in the initial strike, while four others sustained injuries. The situation worsened when the Yemeni Navy arrived to assist the stricken vessel; they came under direct fire, which reportedly resulted in yet another fatality, bringing the total death toll from the encounter to three.

Local sources in Mokha have pointed toward Iran-backed Houthi rebels as the parties responsible for the assault, which occurred at the critical entrance to the Red Sea. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed the attack, noting that the vessel was struck while sailing through the contested waterway. This escalation follows the recent collapse of a long-standing truce in Yemen’s civil war, signaling a worrying rise in regional tensions that now directly threaten the safety of international commercial shipping.