Houthi Missile Strikes Kill Six Aboard Cargo Ship Tihamah

The Houthi movement launched a series of ballistic missile strikes on August 11, 2026, against the cargo vessel Tihamah in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The assault involved a double-tap tactic: an initial strike killed four crew members—three Pakistanis and one Indonesian—and sparked a fire. A subsequent strike targeted rescue operations, killing two members of the Yemeni National Resistance Forces. In total, six people died and 10 were wounded.

Conflicting reports emerged regarding the vessel's nature and ownership. The Government of Yemen and its Ministry of Transport identified the Tihamah as a commercial ship carrying food supplies for Yemeni citizens. Conversely, Houthi media claimed the ship was Saudi-affiliated and transporting military equipment. Shipping database Equasis listed the vessel as Egyptian-owned, flying a Tanzanian flag.

This maritime assault is part of a broader Houthi offensive that included drone and missile strikes on the government-held port city of Mokha, as well as the provinces of Marib and Hadramout, killing dozens of troops and civilians. These actions follow a Houthi-declared naval blockade of Saudi Arabia and the collapse of a 2022 UN-backed truce. The escalation coincides with regional instability, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and U.S. military strikes against Iranian targets.

In response to the blockade, Saudi Arabia has formed a 14-nation naval coalition to keep the Bab el-Mandeb Strait open. Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the attack as a violation of international law and coordinated the repatriation of the deceased Pakistani nationals.