A small cargo ship was attacked in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday, killing four crew members, according to two Yemeni coast guard sources and two military officials.
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The Tanzania-flagged Tihamah was struck by an unknown projectile off the coast of al-Mokha, Yemen, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said. British maritime security firm Ambrey said the vessel was reportedly targeted by the Iran-aligned Houthis, although the group had not claimed responsibility for the attack.
The four crew members killed were three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national, according to the Yemeni sources. The vessel had been sailing from Salalah in Oman via Djibouti when it was attacked, the sources said.
The attack comes as shipping companies continue to face heightened risks along key maritime routes in the region. Traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has fallen to an average of 32 ships a day from 50 before the Houthi blockade, according to Kpler data.
The extent of the damage to the vessel and the circumstances of the attack were still being assessed.
