Indonesian Seafarer Missing After Attack on Vessel in Bab Al-Mandeb Strait
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported that one Indonesian crew member is still missing after the commercial vessel they were working on came under attack in the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, Yemen.
Heni Hamidah, Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens at the ministry, stated that the ministry and the Indonesian Embassy in Muscat are continuously monitoring developments following the drone strike on the MV Tihamah while it was docked at the Port of Bab Al-Mandeb. The vessel was carrying a total of 11 crew members, comprising eight Pakistani nationals and three Indonesians. The condition of two Indonesian crew members has been confirmed as safe, while one remains missing.
“One crew member has still not been found, and intensive search and sweeping efforts in the sea area are still being carried out by the relevant parties,” Heni said during a media briefing in Jakarta on Thursday. The latest information regarding the condition of the Indonesian crew was received by the Indonesian side this morning via a note verbale from the Yemeni Foreign Ministry. Earlier reports had suggested the Indonesian crew member had died, but the ministry stated on Tuesday it was still confirming the individual’s fate.
Of the two surviving Indonesian crew members, one sustained minor injuries from shrapnel and did not require treatment, while the other was injured and has received medical care at a hospital. Following the incident, the Indonesian Embassy in Muscat is taking necessary steps to ensure the protection of the Indonesian crew, including preparing repatriation facilitation to their homeland when conditions permit. The ministry’s Directorate of Protection for Indonesian Citizens has also communicated directly with the families of all three crew members to explain the handling and current situation.
Heni assured that the ministry would immediately provide updated information if there are any developments regarding the search for the missing Indonesian crew member. An Anadolu report mentioned that an Indonesian national was one of three crew members killed in an attack on a commercial vessel in the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait. According to the government-affiliated television station Al-Jumhuriya TV, 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.