ISLAMABAD: Six Pakistani sailors injured in a recent Houthi attack on a vessel in the Red Sea have safely returned to Pakistan, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday, adding that the mortal remains of two Pakistani sailors killed have also been repatriated.
Yemeni commercial vessel Tihamah came under repeated Houthi missile attacks while sailing through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait on Aug. 11. Pakistan’s foreign office had confirmed that three Pakistani nationals had been killed in the attack.
The attack took place amid heightened risks to shipping through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, where Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have threatened Saudi-linked vessels. The attack was one of the deadliest against a commercial vessel in the area since late 2023.
“The six Pakistani sailors injured in the recent Houthi attack on a Tanzanian-flagged commercial vessel have safely returned to Pakistan, while the mortal remains of the two Pakistani sailors who tragically lost their lives have also been repatriated,” Dar, who is also Pakistan’s foreign minister, wrote on social media platform X.
Dar appreciated the Consulate General of Pakistan in Jeddah and the Pakistani embassy in Riyadh for their prompt efforts in facilitating the return of the injured sailors and the repatriation of the bodies of the killed sailors from Yemen.
He thanked the Saudi foreign ministry for their cooperation and providing medical assistance to the Pakistani sailors in Jeddah.
“Pakistan condemns the attack in the strongest terms and reiterates that the safety and security of seafarers must be ensured at all times,” the deputy premier wrote. “We remain committed to extending all possible assistance to the injured sailors and the bereaved families.”
The Bab Al-Mandab Strait, between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and through the Suez Canal, to the Mediterranean. This makes it a critical route for trade between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Security concerns around the waterway have intensified since the Houthis threatened Saudi shipping in July, while attacks on commercial vessels have also resumed.
The Aug. 11 attack took place days after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed a trilateral defense pact in Makkah. The agreement stipulates that an attack against one country will be considered an attack against all three.
In July, Pakistan also joined 13 countries to become part of a Saudi-led multinational maritime defense alliance, which aims to protect shipping routes through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The 14 founding supporters include Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
