Three crew members aboard a commercial cargo ship were killed Tuesday after a ballistic missile fired by the Iranian-backed Houthis struck the vessel as it traveled through the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The victims were identified as two Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national who were aboard the vessel when the missile scored a direct hit.

Initial reports indicate that the ballistic missile was launched by Houthi forces from Yemen’s eastern Taiz province before striking the commercial vessel in the key international shipping corridor.

The deadly attack represents another escalation in the Houthis’ ongoing campaign against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb region.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime passages, connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serving as a critical route for international commerce.

Repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks against vessels traveling through the region have disrupted global shipping and forced some commercial operators to reroute vessels away from the Red Sea.

Tuesday’s deadly strike underscores the continuing threat posed to civilian sailors and international maritime traffic as the Iranian-backed group maintains its attacks on vessels passing near Yemen.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)