Men stand near a billboard bearing the image of a commercial ship with the flag of Israel as it is burning after Yemen’s Houthi-affiliated naval forces struck it, at a street on January 10, 2024 in Sana’a, Yemen.
Mohammed Hamoud | Getty Images
A vessel off the coast of Yemen on Monday reported it had been hit from above by a missile, according to an update from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations organization.
The UKMTO said authorities were investigating the incident, which occurred southeast of Aden in Yemen, and said ships were “advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.”
It comes shortly after the U.S. and U.K. launched joint strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The Iran-backed group has been attacking ships traversing the Red Sea since late last year, wreaking havoc on global trade and drawing international condemnation.
The militants claim their attacks in the Red Sea are in response to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
The vessel was reportedly a U.S.-owned and Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier, Reuters reported, citing British maritime security firm Ambrey.
Ambrey said three missiles were reportedly launched by the Houthis, with two not reaching the sea and one hitting the vessel.
The U.S.-owned bulk carrier was said to have been transiting in the westbound lane of the International Recommended Transit Corridor, a shipping route through the Gulf of Aden. The missile reportedly caused a fire in a hold, but the vessel remained seaworthy and no injuries were reported.
Ambrey was reported to have said it assessed the attack to have targeted U.S. interests in response to recent military strikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
