The British maritime security firm Vanguard reported that at least two people were killed in an attack on a cargo ship near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, off the southern coast of Yemen.
Citing a source within the Yemeni Coast Guard, the news agency AFP reported that Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked the vessel at the entrance to the Red Sea. The source added that the remaining crew members had been rescued.
Another source confirmed the incident to AFP, noting that the ship was targeted by a second attack while the rescue operation was underway.
Meanwhile, Vanguard stated that the two deceased individuals were crew members—one a Pakistani national and the other an Indonesian national. Additionally, four others were injured; the injured include three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national.
The firm further reported that the Yemeni Navy moved in to assist the vessel following the attack but came under fire themselves, resulting in casualties.
Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) authority had reported an incident involving an oil tanker and military forces in the Sea of Oman.
Vanguard, a firm specializing in vessel recovery and maintenance, reported at the time that a Panama-flagged container ship—traveling west to east through the Sea of Oman near the Pakistani coast—had been targeted by a missile fired from a helicopter.
Although the missile strike ignited a fire on board, the blaze was brought under control. However, the vessel lost control following the attack and was unable to maneuver or change course.
