Commercial ship attacked near Yemen

Two maritime security organizations reported Sunday that a commercial vessel came under a complex attack in the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the incident occurred approximately 51 nautical miles (around 94 kilometers) southwest of the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah.

According to UKMTO, "multiple small boats attacked the vessel with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades," prompting the onboard security team to return fire. The situation was described as ongoing at the time of the report.

British maritime security firm Ambrey added that the ship was hit in two separate attacks by unmanned aerial systems (drones), damaging its cargo. Two additional drone attacks were reportedly repelled.

Despite the damage, Ambrey confirmed the vessel "continues its voyage," according to AFP.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Ambrey noted that the targeted ship matched the profile of vessels previously attacked by Yemen’s Houthis.

The incident is part of a broader campaign by the Iran-backed Houthis, who have launched dozens of drone and missile strikes on vessels in the Red Sea since October 2023. The group says the attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Since early 2024, the Houthis have expanded their targets to include ships linked to the US and UK, in retaliation for Western airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen.

These repeated attacks have severely disrupted global maritime traffic, forcing many shipping companies to bypass the Suez Canal and reroute around the longer, costlier path via the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa.