TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Iran-backed Houthi has been accused of attacking a commercial vessel at the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea on Tuesday. Several people were killed in the strike, marking it as the first reported fatalities in such attacks since the Yemeni group started targeting ships in the area.
Three Indonesians were known to have boarded the vessel, and one was confirmed to be one of the fatalities. Meanwhile, the other two Indonesian crew members were injured in the attack.
How many died in the attack?
Citing Anadolu, six people were killed while ten others were injured in the strike that hit the Egyptian-owned, Tanzania-flagged Timahah.
Yemen’s Transport Ministry detailed that four crew members were among the casualties, including three Pakistani and one Indonesian.
In a separate statement quoted from CNBC, Yemen’s coast guard reportedly said that Houthi fired another missile at the ship, killing two members of the Yemeni government-allied National Resistance Forces as they carried out a rescue.
“The attack struck the site of the rescue operation and resulted in deaths and injuries among the forces participating in the response operation,” the coastguard said.
According to NBC News, quoting the Yemeni coast guard, among the injured were seven crew members, two coast guard personnel, and one NRF member.
Yemen’s Transport Ministry said it holds “the Houthi terrorist militias fully responsible for the deaths, injuries and damage inflicted on the commercial vessel 'Tihamah,' as well as for the serious consequences resulting from these attacks.”
Houthi accuses arms transport
While several media outlets reported that Tihamah was a commercial vessel carrying food supplies, the Houthi-run news agency Saba reported that it had attacked a Saudi ship carrying military equipment in Bab al-Mandeb.
It is worth noting that the report did not name the ship, and the Saudi government did not respond to the report, according to Al Jazeera.
The Houthis previously confirmed they had launched ballistic missile and drone attacks “targeting Saudi military buildups, weapons depots and command posts” in al-Makha and the central Marib province.
The group also declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea on July 20.
How did Indonesia react?
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed information that three Indonesian crew members were victims in the attack on Tihamah on Tuesday, according to Antara.
Heni Hamidah, the ministry's director of Indonesian Citizen Protection, said in a statement that "one crew member suffered minor injuries from debris and did not require hospitalization, while the other crew member sustained injuries and has received hospital treatment."
Meanwhile, the Hamidah said on Tuesday that her side was still verifying the report that an Indonesian was killed in the attack in Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
She confirmed that the Indonesian Embassy in Muscat continues to monitor the situation, especially after contacting the Indonesian crew members on the MV Tihamah.
"The Indonesian Embassy in Muscat is communicating with relevant authorities to obtain official confirmation regarding the condition and whereabouts of the Indonesian crew members in question," she said.
Indonesis is also taking the necessary measures to ensure the protection of the crew members, including facilitating their return if conditions and circumstances permit, according to Heni.
What about Pakistan?
Pakistan, on the other hand, had "strongly" condemned the Houthi attack, calling it a violation of international law and a threat to maritime security, according to Anadolu.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a statement that Islamabad is in contact with Saudi authorities and Yaman to ascertain further details about the attack.
The Pakistani Embassy in Riyadh, he said, has been directed to coordinate with relevant communities to pursue the retrieval and repatriation of the deceased Pakistani nationals and assistance for the injured.
The escalation in Yemen follows the breaking of the longstanding truce between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government on July 13, when Saudi struck the runway at Sanaa airport.
Tit-for-tat attacks ever since have killed dozens of people and wounded others on both sides. The UN has called for restraint, saying the renewed hostilities risk “drawing the country into a broader regional confrontation, with devastating consequences for its people.”
Read: One Indonesian Among Vessel Crew Killed in Houthi Attack, Report Says
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