The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations “UKMTO” said on Sunday that it had received a report of a cargo ship being attacked by unknown gunmen off Yemen’s western coast, in the latest maritime incident in the waters surrounding the country.
In an advisory numbered “079-26”, the agency said the incident occurred 30 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, noting that a cargo ship had sent a distress call stating that it was “under attack by unknown gunmen”.
UKMTO added that authorities are investigating the incident, calling on vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity to “UKMTO”.
The agency did not identify the vessel or its ownership. No party has claimed responsibility for the incident so far, and there has been no comment from the Houthi group, which controls the city of Hodeidah and its ports.
Earlier this month, the British agency announced that it had received two separate reports of suspicious maritime activity off Yemen’s coast south of Balhaf in Shabwa Governorate, in the Arabian Sea. One report involved a vessel being attacked by a small boat armed with an “RPG” rocket-propelled grenade launcher, while another boat approached a tanker before leaving the area without causing any injuries.
According to UKMTO, the waters around Yemen have witnessed an escalation in recent months in reports of attacks, suspicious approaches, and attempted boardings of commercial vessels and tankers in the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea, amid repeated warnings for vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.
The incident comes amid a notable escalation in maritime threats around Yemen since last February, as the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations “UKMTO” has recorded a series of reports involving attacks, suspicious approaches, and attempted boardings of commercial ships and tankers in the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea.
These incidents increased during June and July and included the use of small arms and “RPG” rounds, as well as damage sustained by one vessel south of Balhaf, in what appears to be a worrying return of piracy and armed maritime threats after years of decline.
