Houthi strike on Red Sea cargo ship kills three crew members (2026-08-11)

A Houthi attack on a small cargo vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Tuesday has resulted in the deaths of three crew members, according to Yemeni coast guard sources and military officials. The incident marks the first confirmed fatalities from a Houthi strike on a ship since late February.

The vessel, a Tanzania-flagged ship named Tihamah, was hit by an unknown projectile off the coast of al-Mokha, Yemen, as confirmed by UK Maritime Trade Operations. The attack occurred while the ship was at anchor, approximately 3.3 nautical miles northeast of Perim Island.

The deceased crew members include two Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian. The ship was en route from Salalah in Oman via Djibouti when it was targeted. Following the attack, the crew reportedly lost control of the vessel and were subsequently approached by the Yemeni coast guard.

The Houthis, who have not yet formally claimed responsibility for the attack, had declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea last month, citing an alleged Saudi siege. Riyadh has denied these accusations.

This incident adds to the growing uncertainty for shipping companies operating in the region. Data from Kpler indicates that an average of 32 ships per day passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait last week, a significant drop from the pre-blockade average of 50 ships daily.

British maritime security firm Ambrey noted that the vessel was not Saudi-owned or operated at the time of the attack and had departed al-Mokha on Saturday. The Egyptian company listed as the owner and manager of the Tihamah has not responded to requests for comment.