UK maritime agency reports attack on vessel off coast of Al Hudaydah, Yemen

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Britain's maritime agency reported a fresh incident Wednesday off the coast of Al Hudaydah in western Yemen.

In a statement, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said it received a report of an incident 77 nautical miles southwest of Al Hudaydah.

Early Wednesday, a ship's captain reported that the vessel was approached by two small craft -- the first craft had three to five people onboard, while the second had around 10.

"The two small craft hailed the merchant vessel, leading to a brief exchange of small arms fire ... the Master reported that the merchant vessel had been struck by two unidentified projectiles before being hit by a third projectile," said the statement.

It noted that the vessel was reportedly not under command after the incident, and that there were no casualties.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

The Houthis have been targeting Israeli-linked cargo ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7 last year.

Earlier this year, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a multinational mission, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to counter Houthi attacks.