Three Pakistani sailors were among at least six people killed after a cargo vessel was struck near Yemen’s Bab al-Mandeb Strait, according to Yemen’s coastguard. Ten others were reportedly injured.
WEBDESK | August 12, 2026
At least six people, including three Pakistani sailors, were killed after a cargo vessel came under attack near Yemen’s strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, according to the coastguard of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
The vessel, Tihamah, was reportedly struck while sailing near the entrance to the Red Sea. The coastguard said four crew members, including three Pakistanis and one Indonesian national, were killed in the initial attack. Two members of Yemeni forces involved in a subsequent rescue operation were also killed.
The attack reportedly injured another 10 people.
According to the coastguard, the first strike caused a fire aboard the vessel and inflicted heavy damage. Several crew members were killed or wounded as the ship caught fire.
A second strike allegedly hit the area while rescue personnel were attempting to evacuate people from the damaged vessel. The coastguard said the attack killed two Yemeni personnel and caused additional injuries.
Casualty figures remained disputed. Yemen’s Transport Ministry reported a lower death toll of four while also blaming Houthi forces for the attack. The conflicting figures could not immediately be reconciled.
A Houthi-linked media outlet later reported that the group had targeted a vessel in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, claiming it was carrying Saudi military equipment. The claim about the vessel’s cargo could not immediately be independently verified.
The Houthis, an Iran-aligned movement that controls large parts of Yemen, have previously targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea amid wider regional tensions.
Strategic shipping route under threat
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and providing a key shipping route between the Indian Ocean, Middle East and Europe.
Any prolonged disruption in the area could affect international shipping schedules, insurance premiums, fuel costs and the movement of goods between Asia and Europe.
The latest incident comes amid renewed tensions surrounding Yemen and the wider regional confrontation involving Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Three Pakistanis among those killed
The deaths of three Pakistani sailors are likely to raise concern in Pakistan, where thousands of citizens work aboard commercial and merchant vessels operating on international routes.
The coastguard identified the three Pakistanis as members of the Tihamah crew but did not immediately provide further details about their identities.
The incident highlights the growing risks faced by civilian seafarers travelling through conflict-affected waters. Commercial crews can become victims of attacks despite having no direct role in the political or military disputes surrounding them.
With competing casualty figures and conflicting claims over the vessel and its cargo, several details of the attack remain unclear.
For now, the deaths of the three Pakistani sailors have added a tragic human dimension to the widening security crisis around one of the world’s busiest maritime routes.
