00:03A deadly Houthi missile attack has rocked Red Sea shipping, killing sailors and rescuers in a brutal double strike.
00:12On August 11, 2026, the cargo vessel Tehama was attacked in or near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of
00:22the world's most strategically important shipping routes.
00:25The vessel was reportedly anchored near Purim Island, close to Yemen's coast, when the attack began at around 9.30
00:34in the morning.
00:35According to Yemeni authorities, Houthi forces fired multiple ballistic missiles at the ship, but the attack reportedly did not end
00:45there.
00:46As rescue teams moved in to evacuate the crew, a second strike hit the vessel.
00:52Yemeni officials described it as a double tap attack, saying the follow-up strike endangered rescuers who were already responding
01:01to the first attack.
01:02There was also reportedly an attempt to attack the rescue operation with a booby-trapped drone boat, but Yemeni forces
01:11said the vessel was intercepted and destroyed.
01:14The Tehama was a small cargo ship flying the Tanzanian flag and carrying a crew of around 11 sailors, mainly
01:23from Pakistan and Indonesia.
01:25The initial strike triggered a major fire and severely damaged the vessel.
01:30At least six people were killed.
01:33Four were crew members, three Pakistani sailors and one Indonesian sailor.
01:39Two additional people were reportedly killed while helping with the rescue operation.
01:44Around ten others were injured, including crew members and rescue personnel.
01:49The attack has triggered a fierce dispute over why the ship was targeted.
01:55Yemen's internationally recognized government said the vessel was carrying food supplies,
02:00and accused the Houthis of putting civilian shipping and food security at risk.
02:06The Houthis, however, claimed the ship was carrying Saudi military equipment.
02:10That claim has not been independently established.
02:14The incident comes after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade against Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea in July,
02:23accusing Riyadh of imposing a siege on Yemen.
02:26Saudi Arabia has rejected those accusations.
02:30The attack is particularly significant because it represents the first confirmed crew fatalities
02:37from a Houthi attack on commercial shipping since the wider Iran-related conflict began in February 2026.
02:45And the timing could not be more sensitive.
02:49The Bab al-Mandab Strait is a critical gateway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden
02:55and the wider global shipping network.
02:58Any sustained increase in attacks could force more commercial vessels to avoid the rout,
03:04increasing travel times, insurance costs, and pressure on global supply chains.
03:11The Tihama attack also raises another major concern.
03:15If rescue crews themselves can become targets during an attack,
03:20how much more dangerous will emergency operations become in the Red Sea?
03:45OneIndia
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