CARGO SHIP ATTACKED IN BAB AL-MANDEB STRAIT; CREW KILLED

A cargo ship caught fire in the Bab al-Mandeb strait following an attack by an unknown projectile, resulting in crew deaths. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre received a report of the incident. Yemeni official sources from the coast guard and military attributed the attack to the Houthis, the Iran-backed group that controls much of Yemen's Red Sea coast. One report put the death toll at four crew members; another stated at least three were killed.

The vessel is Egyptian-owned. The attack occurred off the coast of Mocha. The Houthis have previously targeted tankers carrying Saudi oil in the Bab al-Mandeb strait, but this strike, if confirmed as a Houthi attack, would represent a shift in their targeting pattern, as they had not previously attacked container ships in the strait. The attack came amid broader tensions in the region linked to the conflict in Iran.

If the deaths are confirmed, they would mark the first fatalities from a Houthi strike on shipping since armed conflict began in February. Maritime shipping in the strait has remained a focal point of regional tensions. The Bab al-Mandeb is a crucial shipping chokepoint between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, through which significant volumes of global trade pass daily.