Three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian lost their lives following an attack by Houthi forces on the Egyptian-owned cargo vessel Tihamah in Yemen’s Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Yemeni transport ministry reported the incident on August 11, marking the first fatalities from such assaults on maritime shipping since the conflict in Iran escalated on February 28. The ministry stated that the crew lost control of the ship during the hostile encounter.

In addition to the casualties among the crew, two rescuers affiliated with Yemen’s National Resistance Forces were killed in a subsequent strike allegedly conducted by Houthi fighters as rescue operations commenced, according to a statement from the Yemeni Coast Guard. The incident resulted in injuries to ten individuals, including seven crew members, two Coast Guard personnel, and one member of the resistance forces.

Response and Damage Assessment

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency, which is affiliated with the British navy, indicated that an unidentified vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait had been targeted by a projectile. Maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed that the incident occurred while the Tihamah was anchored northeast of Perim Island. Verification of the vessel’s identity was conducted by Reuters, which compared images of the ship’s deck and mast with archive data.

Ship-tracking data also revealed the Tihamah’s location near Murad, Yemen, at the time of the attack. Yemeni officials corroborated the information, confirming that a small cargo ship was attacked by Houthi forces. The Houthis later claimed responsibility for striking a vessel allegedly transporting Saudi military equipment in the same region, although they did not provide specific details on the targeted ship. Saudi authorities have yet to issue a response concerning this incident.

The attack occurred shortly after the Houthis proclaimed a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea on July 20, attributing the measure to what they characterised as a Saudi siege on Yemen. However, Riyadh has denied that Yemen is currently undergoing a siege.

Impact on Shipping Through Bab el-Mandeb

The ramifications of the attack on the Tihamah have contributed to a significant downturn in maritime traffic in the Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea areas. Statistics show that shipping activity has decreased by over 50 per cent since the Houthis began targeting commercial vessels earlier in 2023. Recent data indicated that an average of thirty-two vessels transited through the strait last week, down from approximately fifty prior to the escalations associated with the Houthi-led actions.

In a related development, a Panama-flagged container ship named Vela Nova was reportedly struck by a missile while navigating towards the Gulf of Oman near Pakistan. Maritime security analysts reported the incident as an attack, while sources indicated that a US helicopter had fired a Hellfire missile at the vessel to prevent it from allegedly evading a blockade aimed at Iran-linked shipping. The US Central Command has not responded to inquiries regarding this incident.

Additionally, disruptions in shipping routes have extended to the Strait of Hormuz, where vessel traffic has diminished sharply. On one recent Monday, merely six vessels transited through the strait, compared to a ten-day average of around eleven and pre-conflict levels of approximately 130 to 140 vessels daily.

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