Yemeni officials reported that six individuals were killed on Tuesday in an assault by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on a ship in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The casualties included four crew members and two members of the government-allied National Resistance Forces. The Yemeni Transportation Ministry stated that the Houthis launched three ballistic missiles at the Yemeni commercial vessel.

This incident marks the first recorded fatalities from Houthi attacks on maritime targets near Yemen during the recent conflict in the region. Due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, attention has shifted to the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in southern Yemen, which serves as an alternative route for Saudi Arabia’s oil shipments.

The Houthis also targeted the government-controlled port city of Mokha on the Red Sea and other regions within the country. Yemen’s military confirmed that the rebels launched attacks on Mokha and the central province of Marib using missiles and drones, resulting in casualties. In previous strikes last week, the Houthis targeted Marib and the eastern province of Hadramout, causing casualties among government forces and civilians.

The attacks on Mokha are significant as it is a key port under Yemen’s internationally recognized government and has been upgraded to facilitate shipping operations, bypassing the Houthi-held port of Hodeida. These assaults represent an escalation by the Houthis against government forces in Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia, a supporter of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

The recent Houthi offensives could potentially reignite Yemen’s civil war following a ceasefire in 2022 and create a new conflict front in the Middle East. The situation has raised concerns among shipping companies navigating the Bab el-Mandeb Strait amid heightened insecurity in the region.