By Shumaila Aslam
Pakistan Bureau Chief
The Pakistan Red Sea attack has left three Pakistani nationals dead and one injured after Houthi forces struck a commercial cargo vessel in the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, Pakistan’s government confirmed Wednesday.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Islamabad was still gathering details of the incident.
“Such attacks endanger innocent lives, constitute a violation of international law, and pose a serious threat to freedom of navigation,” Dar said in a statement.
Pakistan Red Sea Attack: What Happened
According to Reuters reporting cited by regional outlets, the Egyptian-owned cargo ship Tihamah was attacked in the strait on Tuesday.
Four crew members were reported killed in that strike three Pakistanis and one Indonesian national. Yemeni authorities separately said two Yemeni rescuers also died, with ten others injured.
Dar’s own statement, issued a day later, confirmed three Pakistani deaths and one injury, without addressing the broader crew toll reported by Reuters.
The discrepancy in numbers has not yet been publicly reconciled by Pakistani officials.
Government Response and Repatriation Efforts
Dar said Pakistan is in contact with Saudi authorities and Yemen’s internationally recognized government to establish the circumstances of the attack.
He has directed Pakistan’s embassy in Riyadh to coordinate the retrieval and repatriation of the victims’ remains and to support the injured survivor.
Pakistan Red Sea Attack Comes Amid Regional Defence Realignment
The strike happened days after Pakistan Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, and Tรผrkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on 7 August 2026, under which an armed attack on any one signatory is treated as an attack on all three. Officials, including Dar, have described the pact as “purely defensive” and not directed at any specific country.
It is not yet established whether the Houthi strike on the Tihamah falls within the scope of that agreement, since the vessel was Egyptian-owned and the deceased were crew members rather than state or military personnel.
Pakistani officials have not issued a statement explicitly invoking the pact in relation to this incident.
Key Facts
- Three Pakistan Red Sea nationals confirmed dead, one injured, in a Houthi attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea.
- Reuters reported four total crew deaths (3 Pakistani, 1 Indonesian) aboard the cargo ship Tihamah; two Yemeni rescuers also died, per Yemeni authorities.
- Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the attack and is coordinating with Saudi and Yemeni authorities.
- The incident follows the 7 August 2026 signing of the trilateral Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Tรผrkiye.
- No official statement yet confirms whether this attack triggers any provision of that defence pact.
- Pakistan Red Sea
FAQs:
Q: Who carried out the Pakistan Red Sea attack on the nationals?
A: Yemen’s Houthi movement, which has repeatedly targeted Saudi-linked commercial shipping in the Bab Al-Mandab Strait.
Q: How many people died in total?
A: Pakistan’s government confirmed three Pakistani deaths and one injury. Reuters reported a total of four crew deaths aboard the ship, plus two Yemeni rescuers.
Q: Is this attack linked to the new Pakistan-Saudi-Tรผrkiye defence pact?
A: Not officially. The attack occurred days after the pact was signed, but no government statement has confirmed the pact applies to this incident.
Q: What is Pakistan doing for the victims?
A: The Foreign Ministry has directed its Riyadh embassy to coordinate repatriation of the deceased and support for the injured national.
Q: What is the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement?
A: A trilateral pact signed 7 August 2026 by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Tรผrkiye stating an armed attack on one signatory is treated as an attack on all three; officials describe it as defensive in nature.
Wider Context: Rising Risk to Red Sea Shipping
The attack adds to a pattern of Houthi threats against Saudi-linked shipping through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, a chokepoint Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has targeted repeatedly amid regional tensions tied to the wider Israel-Iran confrontation.
Arab News Pakistan says in contact with Saudi Arabia after Houthi Red Sea attack kills three nationals
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