ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday condemned the killing of three Pakistani nationals in an attack on a commercial vessel by Yemen's Houthis, and said such incidents pose a "serious threat" to freedom of navigation, maritime security and the safety of commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
On Tuesday, four seafarers -- three Pakistanis and an Indonesian -- were killed and many others were injured after Tanzania-flagged vessel Tihamah was targeted in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait by the Iranian-backed Houthis.
The Houthis have intensified attacks in the region following the announcement of a maritime ban on Saudi-linked vessels last month.
"Pakistan strongly condemns the Houthi attack on a non-combatant commercial vessel," Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said in a post on X.
"Such attacks endanger innocent lives, constitute a violation of international law, and pose a serious threat to freedom of navigation, maritime security, and the safety of commercial shipping in the Red Sea," said Dar, who is also Pakistan's foreign minister.
The minister said that officials are in contact with the authorities in Saudi Arabia and Yemen for details of the incident and for the repatriation of the bodies.
"I have directed our Embassy in Riyadh to immediately coordinate with the concerned authorities, and to strongly pursue all necessary measures for the retrieval and repatriation of the mortal remains of the deceased Pakistani nationals and for the provision of all possible assistance to the injured Pakistani national," he added.
The minister said, "We are closely following the situation."
Foreign spokesman Tahir Andrabi said that Pakistan supports freedom of navigation and maritime security of international waterways under international law.
Andrabi further said Pakistan is a signatory of the maritime coalition announced by Saudi Arabia and is ready and willing to assist Saudi Arabia and other coalition partners to preserve the safety and security of the global supply chain as well as the maritime traffic.
The attack took place days after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement" on August 7, amid increasing security concerns in the wake of escalating tensions in West Asia.
Under this trilateral agreement, an attack against one of them will be treated as an attack against all.
India on Tuesday said it is assessing the implications of the pact with regard to its own national security as well as regional peace and stability.