Ship traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait dropped sharply over the weekend, with just 18 vessels crossing on Sunday compared to 28 on Friday, as security incidents and reports of attacks on shipping deterred commercial transit, according to Kpler tracking data.

The maritime tracking company’s figures showed 27 ships transited the waterway on Saturday, before a steeper decline to 18 on Sunday. The drop coincided with reports of an attack on a vessel and rising insecurity along the strategic shipping lane, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Earlier in the week, two Saudi oil tankers had successfully passed through the strait, the data confirmed. Analysts warn that continued security incidents could further disrupt the movement of oil tankers and commercial vessels through the vital chokepoint.

The Bab el-Mandeb has seen repeated attacks on shipping during the regional conflict, with Yemeni forces targeting vessels linked to Saudi Arabia and Israeli-linked ships.

MNA