Houthis Claim Attack on Saudi Ship in Red Sea As Six Killed in Separate Strike

Six people were killed when a Tanzania-flagged ship was attacked in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, Yemen's government said, while Houthi rebels claimed a separate assault on a Saudi vessel. Three Pakistanis are said to be among the six people who lost their lives on Tuesday, as three different ships came under attack in the Red Sea and Gulf of Oman, taking simmering tensions in the world's most key energy trading corridor up another notch. Yemen's coastguard on Tuesday said strikes by the Houthi rebels on a cargo vessel — identified as the Tihamah — resulted in the death of four sailors and two members of rescue personnel deployed during a rescue mission to evacuate the ship.

In a separate incident on Tuesday night, the Saba news agency reported that Houthis attacked a Saudi ship carrying military equipment in Bab el-Mandeb. However, there was no immediate confirmation from Riyadh. US forces also 'disabled' a Panama-flagged container ship trying to break a blockade, according to reports.