CAIRO — A cargo ship came under attack on Sunday in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, the British military said, marking the latest maritime security incident near the conflict-hit country.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the attack occurred about 30 nautical miles (55 kilometers) southwest of the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeida.According to the UKMTO, the bulk carrier reported coming “under attack by unknown armed assailants.”A skiff approached the vessel and opened fire, prompting the ship’s armed security team to return fire. The attackers then withdrew to a larger vessel located about 2 nautical miles (3.7 kilometers) away that had its automatic identification system switched off, the agency said.The UKMTO said the cargo ship and its crew were safe and that authorities were investigating the incident.No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.The Iran-backed Houthi group has recently threatened to resume attacks on commercial shipping, although it has not carried out any confirmed strikes in recent weeks.During the Gaza conflict, the Houthis launched drones and missiles at vessels transiting waters near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, forcing many shipping companies to reroute traffic around the southern tip of Africa instead of using the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.Separately, suspected Somali pirates attacked a vessel on July 1 about 76 nautical miles (140 kilometers) south of the Yemeni port of Balhaf. According to the UKMTO, four armed men aboard a small craft caused minor damage to the ship’s bridge before departing.CAIRO — A cargo ship came under attack on Sunday in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, the British military said, marking the latest maritime security incident near the conflict-hit country.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the attack occurred about 30 nautical miles (55 kilometers) southwest of the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeida.According to the UKMTO, the bulk carrier reported coming “under attack by unknown armed assailants.”A skiff approached the vessel and opened fire, prompting the ship’s armed security team to return fire. The attackers then withdrew to a larger vessel located about 2 nautical miles (3.7 kilometers) away that had its automatic identification system switched off, the agency said.The UKMTO said the cargo ship and its crew were safe and that authorities were investigating the incident.No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.The Iran-backed Houthi group has recently threatened to resume attacks on commercial shipping, although it has not carried out any confirmed strikes in recent weeks.During the Gaza conflict, the Houthis launched drones and missiles at vessels transiting waters near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, forcing many shipping companies to reroute traffic around the southern tip of Africa instead of using the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.Separately, suspected Somali pirates attacked a vessel on July 1 about 76 nautical miles (140 kilometers) south of the Yemeni port of Balhaf. According to the UKMTO, four armed men aboard a small craft caused minor damage to the ship’s bridge before departing.
Cargo ship attacked in Red Sea off Yemen, crew safe
