Illustration (Photo: Shatterstock)
A British merchant ship was attacked in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, the Arab media reported today (Thursday). According to the British Maritime Trade Organization, the attack took place near the port city of Hudaydah, which is considered one of the hotspots of the current civil war in Yemen.
UKMTO Warning 001/May/2022
Category: ATTACK
Description: UKMTO has recieved a report of an attack on a vessel in position 1419N 04242E (34 NM South of Hodeida). Investigations are ongoing.https://t.co/kK6Ww3UfZl#MarSec #Maritime Security pic.twitter.com/nYNrtB2IpK
— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) May 19, 2022
A spokesman for the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which holds an open force in the Persian Gulf region, said the U.S. military had been updated on the incident. The UK had also confirmed that an investigation had been opened into the incident. Iranian forces may be behind the attack.
This is not the first time an unusual incident has been reported in the Red Sea. Last January, Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized a ship from the UAE that they claimed was carrying military equipment and weapons. Abu Dhabi rejected the rebels’ claims, saying the ship was carrying medical equipment to hospitals. Eventually, the Houthis and the Saudi coalition reached an understanding and the ship’s crew was released last month.
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