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A small cargo ship was attacked Tuesday by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, killing three crew members, according to two Yemeni coast guard sources and two Yemeni government military officials who spoke to Reuters.
Separately the same day, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported an incident involving a container ship and military forces in the Gulf of Oman, off the coast of Gwadar in southwestern Pakistan. Maritime security sources stated that the vessel is believed to have been struck by a missile.
In a warning, UKMTO said it had been informed of an incident off the coast of Al Mokha, Yemen.
"It has been reported that a cargo vessel in the southern Red Sea has been hit by an unknown projectile resulting in casualties," the advisory said.
"Authorities are investigating. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO."
The advisory listed the source as "Local Authorities" and gave the report time as "TBC" (to be confirmed).
Maritime security sources told Reuters a small cargo ship was believed to have been targeted in the Red Sea, though the fate of the crew was initially unclear.
If confirmed, the fatalities on the Tanzania-flagged Tihamah would be the first deaths in a Houthi strike on a ship since the broader Middle East conflict was triggered by U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran at the end of February.
The Houthis had declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea last month in response to what they described as a Saudi siege. Riyadh denies it had besieged Yemen.
The Houthis had not yet claimed the attack.
Yemeni sources told Reuters the strike killed two Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national aboard the vessel, which had been sailing from Salalah, Oman, via Djibouti.
Attacks on ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have increased uncertainty for shipping companies already hobbled by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
An average of 32 ships per day passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait last week, according to data from Kpler, down from an average of 50 ships per day before the blockade.
Separately, UKMTO reported an incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Gulf of Oman near Gwadar, according to an advisory.
"UKMTO have received a report of an incident involving a container ship and military forces in the Gulf of Oman," the agency said, later revising the vessel type from tanker to container ship.
"Vessels are advised to consider the latest maritime security information and maintain awareness of the evolving operational environment. Authorities are aware and relevant investigations remain ongoing," the advisory said.
The report time was listed as 7:15 a.m. UTC, with the source designated "Master."
The advisory did not provide details on casualties or damage.
Maritime security sources cited by Reuters said the container ship is believed to have been hit by a missile off the coast of Pakistan.
According to initial assessments, the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was believed to have been hit by a missile while sailing through the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, approximately 71 nautical miles off Pakistan's coast, British maritime risk management group Vanguard and a maritime security source said separately.
The Pakistan incident comes amid heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz following recent military confrontations between the United States and Iran.
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