Houthi attack on small cargo ship in Red Sea kills three crew members, sources say

A small cargo vessel carrying crew from Tanzania, Pakistan, and Indonesia was attacked off the coast of Yemen, resulting in the deaths of three crew members, according to sources from Yemen's coast guard and the government. The incident occurred in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a crucial waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Two Yemeni coast guard sources and two military officials confirmed the tragedy, stating that the victims were killed when the ship was hit by an unknown projectile while anchored near Perim Island. If verified, this would mark the first Houthi attack on a ship since the conflict began following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

The Houthis have since imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, a move Riyadh denies. The vessel, flagged under Tanzania, was en route from Salalah in Oman to Djibouti when it came under attack. The ship lost control after the attack and was subsequently assisted by the Yemeni coast guard. Prior to the blockade, an average of 50 ships per day navigated the strait, but this number has since dropped to an average of 32 ships per day due to increased uncertainty in the shipping industry.