Houthis kill three in first deadly attack since start of Iran war - reports

What the report says

BBC World News reports that three people were reportedly killed in a Houthi attack on a small cargo ship in the Red Sea, in what would be the group’s first deadly strike on a vessel since the conflict involving Iran escalated. The reported attack hit the ship south of Yemen’s port of Mocha, and the UK’s Maritime Trade Operations Centre said the vessel was struck by a projectile. BBC Verify said images of the damaged ship appear to be genuine.

The report says the Houthis, who are allied to Iran, have been attacking shipping in the region and previously announced a naval blockade of Saudi ports. The latest incident comes amid already elevated tensions tied to the wider US-Iran confrontation and follows the collapse of a long-standing truce in Yemen’s civil war between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed internationally recognised government.

Yemeni media cited by BBC World News said two of those killed were crew members, including one Pakistani and one Indonesian. A Yemeni government vessel that went to assist was also reportedly fired on, leading to another casualty. The ship was identified as Tihamah and was said to be sailing under the Tanzanian flag near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategically important route at the mouth of the Red Sea.