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UKMTO says it has received a report of two incidents off the Yemeni coast of Hodeidah

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Two ships were attacked in the Red Sea off the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on Monday. One ship reported minor damage, the British Maritime Authority said.

A ship 97 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah was attacked by an unmanned surface vessel that rammed its port side, causing significant damage and light smoke, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

The ship and its crew are safe and will proceed to their next port of call, UKMTO added.

Another merchant ship 70 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah reported the explosion of three rockets nearby after the ship had previously been attacked by three small boats, UKMTO and security company Ambrey said independently.

According to UKMTO, the ship reported the explosion of one missile at 08:00 GMT and the explosion of two more missiles approximately 45 minutes later.

A ship is seen at the port of Hodeidah in Hodeidah, Yemen, May 13, 2019 (Source: REUTERS)

On Monday, an unmanned small boat collided with the ship twice and two manned small boats fired shots at it, UKMTO said.

It was also reported that both the ship and crew were safe and continuing on to the next port of call, Ambrey said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. But since November, Houthi militants in Yemen have launched drone and missile attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The group says the actions are in solidarity with Palestinians affected by Israel’s war in Gaza.

The ship took “self-protection measures” and then aborted the attack after 15 minutes, UKMTO said.

In dozens of attacks since November, the Houthis have sunk two ships, hijacked another and killed at least three sailors.

Attacks paralyze trade

The attacks have upended global trade by forcing shipping companies to divert their vessels from the Suez Canal and have prompted retaliatory strikes by the US and UK since February.

At least 65 countries as well as major energy and shipping companies have been affected by Houthis attacks, according to a report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency.



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