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Houthis reportedly kill six in first deadly attack since start of Iran war
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- Six people have been killed and 10 injured after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis struck a cargo ship, named Tihamah, in the Red Sea near the port of Mocha using three ballistic missiles, causing a fire on board.
- Four crew members who died were identified as three Pakistanis and one Indonesian; a second missile strike targeted rescuers attempting evacuation, resulting in additional casualties.
- The Houthis claimed the ship was carrying Saudi military equipment, marking their first deadly attack on a vessel since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began on 28 February.
- The attack escalates tensions in the ongoing Yemen conflict, which has intensified following the collapse of a truce last month and involves frequent clashes between Houthi forces controlling north-western Yemen and the Saudi-backed government based in Aden.
- The Yemeni government described the targeted ship as carrying food and condemned the attack on a commercial vessel as a significant escalation by the Houthis; the ship is registered under Tanzania's flag and owned by an Egyptian operator.
