The UK Maritime Trade Operations Office (UKMTO) has reported three new attacks in the southern Red Sea, two of which occurred on Monday. One vessel reported minor damage.
The first incident occurred 70 nautical miles southwest of Hudaydah, Yemen, at approximately 05:30 UTC. According to the captain of a merchant ship, the vessel was attacked by three small boats, the colors of the boat being described as blue and white.
Two of the small boats carried three people, while the third was unmanned and collided with the vessel twice. The two small boats opened fire on the vessel, but after 15 minutes, the vessel’s “self-protection measures” forced the attackers to abort the attack. The crew and vessel were reported safe and continued to the next port of call.
Subsequently, at 08:01 UTC, the same captain reported a missile explosion nearby. At 0845 UTC, two more missiles exploded near the vessel. No damage has been reported despite the threats, and the crew remains safe.
Details
The second incident was reported to have occurred 97 nautical miles northwest of Hudaydah, Yemen. The latest update states that the vessel was attacked by an unmanned surface vessel (USV), which struck the port side, causing some damage and minor smoke.
The vessel and crew are reportedly safe and heading to the next port of call. Authorities are investigating the attack.
These incidents are the 99th and 100th reported by UKMTO in the region this year.
In another newly reported incident, UKMTO said it had received a report of an incident that occurred on July 11, approximately 15 nautical miles southwest of Moka, Yemen. The captain reported that two explosions occurred one hour apart near the vessel. The vessel and its crew are reportedly safe.
Since November, the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have carried out a number of attacks on commercial shipping, resulting in the hijacking of a ship, the sinking of two ships, the death of four sailors, and further damage to ships and casualties.
These latest attacks came despite President Biden’s announcement on Friday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire framework, with the Houthis pledging continued solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
