Yemen: 7 Pakistani died in Yemen Airstrike on Iranian cargo ship

Yemen: 7 Pakistani died in Yemen Airstrike on Iranian cargo ship

One Pakistani sailor was killed while six others are feared dead when an unidentified fighter jet reportedly hit their ship in Yemeni waters, human rights activist Ansar Burney told The Express Tribune on Thursday.

Photo Source: Daily Pakistan

All the members of crew of the Iranian ship were Pakistani nationals and an officer identified as Kabir is said to have rescued his life by jumping off the vessel as it started sinking after catching fire.

Motor vessel ‘Jouya 8’, a general cargo ship registered in Iran, was reportedly targeted off the Hodeidah coast when it was travelling from Dubai to Egypt. A crew of eight, all of Pakistani origin, were onboard under the command of Captain Syed Anisur Rehman.

Meanwhile a prominent Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney issued a statement on his facebook page with regard to the incident, saying The unfortunate cargo ship "MV JOUYA-8"  having flag of Iran was heading towards Gulf from Egypt via Sea of Hodeida Yemen where a strayed or aimed rocket hit the ship which caused destruction of the ship.

The size of the ‘Jouya 8’ is said to be 57 metres in length and 10 metres in width, according to its available information on the internet with maritime dedicated websites. According to a sailor, Syed Aun Zaidi, a crew of maximum 12 to 15 people is usually hired for this size of ships.