The Iran-backed Houthi insurgents of Yemen claimed responsibility for a murderous “double tap” strike on a ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday, using three ballistic missiles to set the ship on fire — and then launching another missile in a deliberate attack on rescue teams, killing at least six people. According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO), the incident began when the Houthis launched three ballistic missiles at a stationary ship in the Bab el-Mandeb strait — which, like the now-infamous Strait of Hormuz, is a chokepoint for a major trade route.
The missile attack caused significant damage to the ship and started a fire on board, so the legitimate government of Yemen, which is partnered with Saudi Arabia, dispatched coast guard and military rescue teams. When the rescuers arrived, the Houthi insurgents launched another ballistic missile, using a “double tap strike” technique to inflict casualties by targeting the rescuers who responded to the first attack. Six deaths were reported, including three Pakistani nationals and an Indonesian who were crew aboard the targeted ship, plus two Yemeni rescuers. The targeted ship was a Tanzanian-flagged, Egyptian-owned vessel called the Tihamah, variously described as a small cargo ship and a ferry boat. According to the Yemeni government, the ship was bound for the port of Mokha with “commercial goods and food supplies for the Yemeni people” when it was attacked.
