Six Killed in Attack on Tehama.. as Houthis Expand Western Coast Offensive

Six people were killed and ten others wounded on Tuesday after the Houthis repeatedly attacked the commercial vessel Tehama (IMO: 1031329) while it was sailing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to the Yemeni Coast Guard.

The maritime attack coincided with a wider Houthi offensive against Yemen’s Western Coast, where government forces reported ten missile strikes and four drone attacks during the day. It also followed the earlier multi-wave assault on Mokha’s port, civilian infrastructure and nearby maritime traffic.

The Yemeni Coast Guard said four members of the Tehama’s crew—three Pakistanis and one Indonesian—were killed. Two members of the Yemeni Armed Forces’ Second Naval Brigade also died during the response.

Seven crew members, two Coast Guard personnel and one member of the Second Naval Brigade were wounded.

Earlier reports had placed the toll at four crew members killed and four wounded. The Coast Guard subsequently raised the figures following rescue and evacuation operations.

UKMTO Confirms Attack off Mokha

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations confirmed receiving a report that a cargo vessel had been attacked in the southern Red Sea off Mokha.

In Warning 110-26⁠, UKMTO said the vessel had been struck by an “unknown projectile,” resulting in casualties. It added that authorities were investigating the incident.

UKMTO did not identify the vessel or attribute responsibility. Yemeni authorities identified it as the Tehama and blamed the Houthis for the attack.

Rescue Teams Targeted

According to the Coast Guard, the initial missile strikes caused a fire and extensive damage aboard the vessel. Coast Guard units and military rescue teams then moved to evacuate its 11 Pakistani and Indonesian crew members.

While the rescue and evacuation operation was underway, the Houthis reportedly launched another missile at the vessel and the surrounding response area. The second attack caused casualties among the forces participating in the operation.

Approximately three hours later, an unmanned explosive boat was detected approaching the damaged ship from the sea. Yemeni naval and Coast Guard forces intercepted and destroyed it before it reached the vessel.

The sequence—repeated missile strikes followed by an explosive boat approaching an already damaged civilian ship—indicates an apparent attempt to sink the vessel and disrupt the rescue operation.

Ten Missiles and Four Drones Target the Western Coast

The National Resistance said the Houthis launched ten missiles and four drones against several positions along the Western Coast on Tuesday.

Government forces intercepted one of the drones and raised their alert level amid expectations of further attacks.  
 

The latest strikes extend the escalation that began with the previous multi-wave attack on Mokha. That assault involved ballistic missiles, drones and an explosive boat targeting the port, nearby facilities and maritime activity.

The earlier attack damaged port infrastructure, government facilities, water projects and residential buildings belonging to the Saudi-supported hospital. Most of the reported casualties were civilians, although authorities did not initially provide a precise breakdown.

The combined operations indicate that the Houthis are increasingly treating Mokha, Bab al-Mandab and the adjacent land fronts as a single operational theatre. Commercial vessels, ports, military positions and forces responsible for protecting maritime navigation are now being targeted within the same campaign.

Escalation Follows Sheba Intelligence Warning

The latest developments reinforce an earlier warning published by Sheba Intelligence on July 19, which identified the Taiz–Mokha–Bab al-Mandab axis as one of three fronts likely to witness renewed Houthi military activity.

The warning was followed by attacks on Mokha and positions along the Western Coast, and now by the deadly strike on the Tehama in Bab al-Mandab.

This progression suggests that the escalation has moved beyond limited probing attacks along contact lines. It is developing into a broader campaign combining missile and drone strikes against land targets with attacks on ports and commercial shipping.

Government Warns Against a New Houthi Reality

The Yemeni Cabinet described the attacks on ports and civilian facilities as a systematic attempt to widen the conflict and impose new realities by force.

It said the government would respond firmly to protect civilians, infrastructure and national interests, warning that treating Houthi attacks as isolated or temporary incidents would allow the group to reproduce and expand its escalation.

The attack on the Tehama marks a particularly dangerous stage. Foreign seafarers and Yemeni rescue personnel were killed, while a civilian vessel and the forces attempting to evacuate its crew were subjected to successive attacks in one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors.