Key facts
- UKMTO reported an attack on a cargo ship in Bab al-Mandab off the coast of Mokha.
- At least three crew members were killed in the attack.
- Yemeni official sources attribute the attack to the Houthis.
- The vessel was a container ship, previously not targeted by Houthis in this region.
- The incident occurred off the coast of Yemen, near the Bab al-Mandab strait.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has received a report of an attack on a cargo ship in the Bab al-Mandab strait, off the coast of Mokha, resulting in casualties. Yemeni official sources from the coast guard and military stated that at least three crew members were killed. These sources attributed the attack to the Houthis, who control a significant portion of Yemen's Red Sea coast. Previously, the Houthis had primarily targeted tankers carrying Saudi oil in the Bab al-Mandab, and had not previously attacked container ships in the area. An earlier report from UKMTO had indicated an incident involving a container ship and military forces in the Gulf of Oman, approximately 71 nautical miles off Pakistan's coast, with maritime security sources believing the vessel was struck by a missile.