Pakistan Condemns Houthi Attack, Three Citizens Killed on Red Sea Ship

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condemned a Houthi attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea on Wednesday, confirming three Pakistani nationals were killed and one injured.

The attack targeted the Tanzania-flagged, Egyptian-owned cargo ship Tihamah near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, off Al Mokha, on Tuesday. Yemeni authorities reported six fatalities, including four crew members and two Yemeni rescuers, with ten other people injured. An Indonesian citizen was also killed in the incident. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned the attack, stating that innocent seafarers lost their lives in an indefensible act against international shipping.

Dominguez called for shipowners and operators to assess risks before transiting the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and other dangerous regions. Shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea has fallen by more than 50 percent compared to levels before earlier attacks. Pakistan is in contact with Saudi authorities and the internationally recognized government of Yemen to ascertain further details and coordinate the repatriation of the deceased and assistance for the injured.

No official comment from the Houthis about the incident has been reported. Pakistan maintains a defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey and mediates between Iran and the United States amid regional tensions. The Yemen truce collapsed in July, escalating conflict between Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed government.