The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Saturday two attacks on a vessel 64 nautical miles northwest of Yemen’s Mokha, causing slight damage. The vessel’s captain reported attacks by an Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) and an Uncrewed Surface Vessel, both of which exploded near the vessel.
A maritime security source told Reuters that the vessel, identified as a Liberia-flagged container ship, was attacked by a skiff and drones. The ship maneuvered at maximum speed to escape while awaiting support from a warship. The captain also reported further UAS sightings, but confirmed that both the vessel and the crew are safe, according to UKMTO.
Earlier, UKMTO reported another attack 83 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s Aden on Friday night, where a Singapore-flagged vessel was damaged by a Houthi strike. This incident is still under investigation.
Shipping company Asiatic Lloyd, which owns and operates the Singapore-flagged vessel, stated that its crew and armed guards on board are all safe. The vessel, en route from Berbera in Somalia to Colombo in Sri Lanka, docked at an unnamed port to assess the damage and plan repairs.
