Indonesian Sailor Missing After Ship Attacked in Bab Al-Mandeb Strait
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that an Indonesian crew member is still unaccounted for after the merchant vessel they were serving on came under attack in the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, Yemen.
Heni Hamidah, Director of Protection of Indonesian Citizens at the Ministry, said the Ministry and the Indonesian Embassy in Muscat are continuing to monitor developments following the drone attack on the MV Tihamah while it was berthed at the Port of Bab Al-Mandeb.
The vessel was carrying a total of 11 crew members, comprising eight Pakistani nationals and three Indonesians. Two of the Indonesian crew members have been confirmed safe, while one remains missing.
“One crew member has still not been found, and search and sweep efforts in the maritime area are continuing intensively by the relevant parties,” Heni said during a media briefing in Jakarta on Thursday.
The latest information on the condition of the Indonesian crew member was received by Indonesia this morning through a note verbale from the Yemeni Foreign Ministry. Earlier reports had indicated that one Indonesian crew member had died, while the Indonesian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday stated it was still confirming the fate of the Indonesian national.
Of the two surviving Indonesian crew members, one sustained minor injuries from shrapnel and did not require treatment, while the other suffered injuries and has received medical care at a hospital, she said.
Following the incident, the Indonesian Embassy in Muscat is taking necessary steps to ensure the protection of the Indonesian crew members, including preparing to facilitate repatriation to Indonesia when conditions permit.
The Directorate of Protection of Indonesian Citizens has also communicated directly with the families of the three crew members to explain the handling and current situation, she added.
She assured that updated information would be provided as soon as there are developments regarding the search for the missing Indonesian crew member. Anadolu reported that an Indonesian national was one of three crew members killed in an attack on a merchant vessel in the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait.
According to Al-Jumhuriya TV, a government-affiliated television station, the attack, allegedly carried out by the Houthi group in Yemen, also killed two Pakistani nationals, according to initial reports. The Bab Al-Mandeb Strait is the gateway to the Red Sea located on the western side of the Arabian Peninsula.