One Indonesian Crew Member Killed in Attack in Bab al-Mandeb Strait

Yemeni authorities have stated that the Houthi group fired missiles at a ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday (11/8/2026), killing four people. One of the deceased is reported to be an Indonesian national.

Anadolu Agency reported that the Ministry of Transport of the internationally recognised Yemeni government said the Yemeni-flagged vessel, Tihamah, was struck three times by ballistic missiles while traversing the strategic waterway, causing the ship to catch fire and sustain material damage.

The fatalities included three Pakistani crew members and one Indonesian sailor, while four others were injured, the ministry said.

A member of the rescue team also sustained injuries. The ministry stated that Houthi forces fired another missile towards the ship as the rescue team attempted to reach the crew, in an effort to disrupt the rescue operation and cause further casualties.

The ministry condemned the Houthi attack as a “terrorist crime” and said the action threatens the safety of maritime navigation and international trade. The ministry noted that the targeting of a vessel carrying food supplies was part of an “escalating Houthi campaign targeting ports, civilian infrastructure in government-controlled areas, and commercial vessels serving those regions.”

They warned that such attacks pose a direct threat to the supply of food and consumer goods for millions of Yemenis, both in government-controlled areas and in Houthi-controlled areas.

There has been no immediate response from the Houthi side regarding the attack. Bab al-Mandeb is the gateway to the Red Sea located on the side of the Arabian Peninsula opposite the Strait of Hormuz.

With the Strait of Hormuz closed due to Iran’s actions, attention has now returned to the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern tip of Yemen, which serves as an alternative route for Saudi Arabia to ship its oil.

Tensions in the Red Sea recently began with an attack on Sanaa International Airport, which is controlled by the Houthi group, last month. Saudi Arabia was accused by the group of carrying out the attack by assisting the Yemeni government.

Since then, the Houthi group has announced a blockade of Saudi vessels in the Red Sea. A number of attacks have been carried out by the group against ships transiting the crucial sea lane.