Series of attacks launched against ship off Yemen

An unnamed ship came under attack Monday by a series of small vessels and missiles some 70 nautical miles (130km) southwest of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the vessel had reported two collisions with an unnamed craft, while two manned small craft fired at it in a new suspected attack launched by Yemen’s Houthi group.

Three blue and white-hulled skiffs approached the vessel. Two of the skiffs had three people each onboard and the third skiff was unmanned, maritime security specialist Ambrey said.

UKMTO confirmed that the vessel and its crew were safe and that they had resumed to the next port of call after fending off the perpetrators.

The ship was later fired upon on two occasions, with three explosions reported in close proximity, causing no damage.

Neither of the security agencies identified the vessel nor the assailants, but Ambrey noted the “attack was consistent with previous incidents claimed by the Houthis,” which have since November employed a variety of tactics against commercial shipping, including missile launches, drone attacks, and the use of unmanned surface vessels.

It was not immediately clear if the ship was targeted by a drone boat packed with explosives, a method previously used to sink a Greek-owned bulker in June.