SANAA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Four crew members were killed and four others wounded Tuesday after a commercial cargo vessel was struck in the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen's western coast, the Yemeni government said, blaming the attack on the Houthi group.
The government-run Transport Ministry said in a statement that the vessel, identified as the Tihamah, was hit by three ballistic missiles while sailing through the strategic waterway, triggering a fire and damaging the ship.
The ministry said three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian sailor were killed, while four other crew members were wounded. A member of a rescue team was also injured during efforts to reach the vessel and evacuate the casualties.
The Tihamah was carrying food supplies when it came under attack, according to the ministry.
The latest official toll was higher than earlier reports by the pro-government Aljoumhouriya TV, which said three crew members were killed.
The incident comes amid a recent Houthi escalation of attacks on commercial shipping in waters off Yemen, as well as missile and drone strikes against government-held areas and targets in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
On July 20, the Houthis announced a ban on Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea, citing what they described as a Saudi blockade of Houthi-held areas.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. ■
