Missiles, drones hit two merchant vessels off Yemen's Hodeida: UK agency

Missiles and drones target vessels (Representative Image)

Two merchant vessels were struck off Yemen's rebel-held Hodeida governorate on Monday, according to a British maritime security agency. Both crews were reported safe after the incidents.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks in an area where Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels have targeted ships linked to Israel. This campaign has been ongoing since November in support of Palestinian ally Hamas amid the Gaza war.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), managed by Britain's Royal Navy, stated that the first vessel was "hit by two unknown projectiles" before a "third explosion occurred nearby."

The maritime security firm Ambrey identified the vessel as a Panama-flagged shuttle tanker, targeted "due to company affiliation with a vessel calling Israeli ports."

Ambrey said "military authorities confirmed the projectiles were missiles", without elaborating on the source of its information.

The attack occurred 70 nautical miles northwest of the port of Al-Salif in Yemen's rebel-held Hodeida, UKMTO said, adding that "damage control is underway".

In a separate incident later on Monday, UKMTO said another commercial vessel was struck by a drone 58 nautical miles west of Hodeida.

Ambrey said it assessed the vessel "did not meet the declared Huthi targeting profile".

In both cases, UKMTO said "there are no casualties onboard and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call."

Huthi attacks have disrupted maritime traffic thorough the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, areas that are vital to global trade.

The United States and Britain have struck Huthi targets in Yemen since January, but it has done little to deter the rebels.

(Inputs From AFP)