A cargo ship carrying food supplies came under attack in the Red Sea, and Yemeni officials gave conflicting death tolls on Tuesday. The vessel was hit near the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen's southern coast, according to the country's coastguard, which said at least six people were killed. Yemen's government, cited separately, put the number at four. The ship was delivering food to a port on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the government said. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have not commented on the attack.
The strike is the latest sign of danger in the waterway, which has become a warzone during Yemen's conflict. Many Yemeni fishermen have abandoned the trade altogether, seeking safer livelihoods as the Red Sea grows too perilous for their work. The area has seen repeated attacks on commercial vessels, disrupting shipping and threatening food supplies for a country already facing severe shortages.