Merchant ship attacked by missiles off Yemen — UK navy

A merchant vessel was attacked in the Red Sea, 40 nautical miles south of the Yemeni port city of Al-Mukha, the UK navy's maritime coordination center, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), said, Report informs..

Two missiles were fired at the ship, the captain said. The crew was not injured and the ship is on its way to port.

UKMTO advised ships to exercise caution in the area and urged them to report any suspicious activity.

With the conflict in the Gaza Strip escalating, the Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement announced that it would conduct strikes on Israeli territory and block pro-Israeli vessels from passing through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until Tel Aviv ceases its military operation in the Palestinian enclave. The Houthis have attacked dozens of civilian vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since mid-November of last year.

On the night of January 12, US and UK forces launched strikes using aircraft, ships and submarines against Yemeni rebel movement targets in a number of cities, including Sanaa and Hodeidah. US President Joe Biden said that the strike was carried out in response to unprecedented attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea and was defensive. The targets included missile sites, UAVs and the Houthis’ radar stations. Several more such operations followed.