3 weeks ago
Houthis strike Saudi ship in Bab al-Mandeb, three crew killed
Far away, in a narrow stretch of sea between Africa and the Middle East, some ships were attacked.
The attackers are called the Houthis, and they come from a country called Yemen.
A missile hit a ship, and sadly three sailors lost their lives — two were from Pakistan and one was from Indonesia.
The Houthis say they are blocking Saudi Arabia, and they have been firing at ships near it.
Because it is dangerous, many ships no longer want to sail through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Instead, they have to take a much longer route all the way around Africa.
That makes it slower and more expensive to bring food and other goods to people.
This is all happening because two countries, Iran and Saudi Arabia, support different sides in a fight that is going on in Yemen.
Three crew members — two Pakistanis and an Indonesian national — were killed in a Houthi missile strike on a ship in the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
Iran's ISNA news agency identified the struck vessel as a Saudi ship; Yemeni government-affiliated media did not name it.
The Iran-backed Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi Arabia and are bombing vessels in the waters around the kingdom, concentrating on Bab al-Mandeb.
The attacks have disrupted maritime traffic, forcing ships to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal and sail around Africa, slowing deliveries and raising costs.
The strikes are part of a proxy conflict in Yemen, where Iran backs the Houthis and Saudi Arabia supports the internationally recognised government.
- Who
- Iran-backed Houthis attacked the ship; the three crew members killed were two Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national. Reporting came from Yemeni government-affiliated media (Al-Jumhuriya TV) and Iran's ISNA news agency.
- What
- A missile strike on a ship — identified by ISNA as Saudi — in the Bab al-Mandeb strait killed three crew members.
- Where
- Bab al-Mandeb strait, the waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
- When
- Reported on a Tuesday; the articles give no specific date.
- Why
- The Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi Arabia and are striking vessels in the waters around the kingdom amid the Iran-Saudi proxy conflict in Yemen.
Houthi campaign view
Yemeni government-aligned view
Strikes on Saudi shipping
Houthi campaign view
The Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi Arabia and are striking vessels in the waters around the kingdom, concentrating attacks on Bab al-Mandeb; ISNA reports the struck ship was Saudi.
Yemeni government-aligned view
Yemeni government-affiliated media report the strikes as attacks that killed three crew members and disrupted maritime traffic, forcing ships to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
Blame in Yemen's conflict
Houthi campaign view
Iran backs the Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, in the proxy conflict.
Yemeni government-aligned view
Saudi Arabia supports the internationally recognised Yemeni government against the Houthi campaign.
Key facts
- Casualties
- 3 crew members killed (2 Pakistanis, 1 Indonesian)
- Location
- Bab al-Mandeb strait
- Target
- Saudi ship (per ISNA), struck by a missile
- Attackers
- Iran-backed Yemen-based Houthis
- Reporting sources
- Al-Jumhuriya TV (Yemeni government-affiliated); ISNA (Iran)
- Impact
- Ships avoiding Red Sea and Suez Canal, rerouting around Africa
- Context
- Iran-Saudi proxy conflict in Yemen; Strait of Hormuz also closed to shipping
Sources
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