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Yemen’s Houthis Suspected of Missile Attack Targeting a Ship in Bab al-Mandeb 

Armed Houthis sit in the back of a pick-up vehicle while on patrol in a street in Sanaa, Yemen, 07 February 2024. (EPA)
Armed Houthis sit in the back of a pick-up vehicle while on patrol in a street in Sanaa, Yemen, 07 February 2024. (EPA)
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Yemen’s Houthis Suspected of Missile Attack Targeting a Ship in Bab al-Mandeb 

Armed Houthis sit in the back of a pick-up vehicle while on patrol in a street in Sanaa, Yemen, 07 February 2024. (EPA)
Armed Houthis sit in the back of a pick-up vehicle while on patrol in a street in Sanaa, Yemen, 07 February 2024. (EPA)

A ship came under attack by two missiles in the key Bab al-Mandeb Strait on Monday, the latest assault believed to have been carried out by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militias.

No one was wounded in the attack and the ship was continuing on its journey, the British military’s United Kingdom Trade Operations center said in a statement.

It wasn’t clear how much damage was done to the ship.

The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, but it often takes them several hours to acknowledge their assaults.

The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. That has disrupted shipments through the waterways and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects them.

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Islamabad: 50,000 Pakistanis Are Missing in Iraq

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
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Islamabad: 50,000 Pakistanis Are Missing in Iraq

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)

Pakistan’s Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain sparked controversy when he revealed that 50,000 Pakistanis have gone missing in Iraq over the years.

He urged the Baghdad government to immediately launch a probe into how the Pakistanis entered Iraq to visit religious sites during the month of Muharram, he was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s Ummat newspaper.

Islamabad is investigating how people have traveled outside Pakistan through illegal means, he remarked.

The permanent committee for religious affairs and interfaith harmony has since proposed new policies for trips to holy sites in foreign countries, including Iraq.

In Iraq, the minister’s comments drew mockery and condemnation on social media and sparked renewed debate over illegal workers in the country.

Politician Mishaan al-Juburi urged the government to make a statement over Hussain’s comments, warning that they may impact security and the labor force.

Hussain’s comments coincided with Iraqi police announcing the arrest of six Pakistanis in Baghdad on charges of theft.

Previously, military intelligence also announced the arrest of a nine-member Pakistani kidnapping and extortion gang in Baghdad. The gang had kidnapped foreigners for ransom.

Meanwhile, Labor Minister Ahmed al-Asadi expressed his concern and condemnation over the increasing number of illegal workers in Iraq.

He said his ministry will investigate the disappearance of the Pakistanis.

He confirmed that several tourists, including Pakistanis, have flocked to Iraq in recent days, and many have taken up employment without the necessary legal permits.

He warned that this phenomenon is negatively impacting the national economy.

The ministry will not be lenient in taking the necessary legal measures against the violators, he vowed.

Iraq welcomes all tourists, whether they are here on a religious visit or otherwise, but they must respect local laws and regulations, declared Asadi.

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala.