On Monday, two commercial ships reported being attacked in separate incidents off the coast of Yemen, according to two British maritime security agencies.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the captain of a commercial vessel said the ship was hit by two unidentified projectiles, followed by a third explosion nearby.
The incident occurred 70 nautical miles northwest of the As-Salif port in Yemen’s western Al-Hudaydah governorate, which the Houthi rebel group controls.
UKMTO, which is operated by the British Royal Navy, confirmed that the situation is under control and there were no injuries aboard the vessel. The ship is continuing its journey to the next port, according to the report.
Ambrey, a British maritime security company, identified the vessel as a Panamanian-flagged tanker.
They suggested the ship was targeted due to the company’s connections with vessels that call at Israeli ports. Ambrey added that military authorities in the region confirmed the projectiles were missiles.
In a separate incident, UKMTO received another report from a different commercial ship, which was struck by a drone 58 nautical miles west of Al-Hudaydah.
Similar to the first incident, no injuries were reported, and the ship is proceeding to its next port.
Ambrey noted that the second vessel was not listed as a declared target by the Houthis, as reported by AFP.
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, they occur within a pattern of repeated assaults on commercial vessels by the Houthis since November.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been launching attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, claiming these actions are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
These attacks have caused some shipping companies to reroute vessels around South Africa to avoid the Red Sea, a critical passage for 12% of global trade.
The US is leading an international naval coalition to protect maritime navigation in this strategic area.
Since January 12, American and British forces have been conducting strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen to deter further attacks. The U.S. military has also periodically targeted missile and drone launch platforms, which they claim were intended for future attacks.
