MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile and caught fire 23 nautical miles west of Yemen’s port of Mocha, also known as Al Mukha, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Saturday, adding that the blaze was put out by the crew.
«UKMTO is aware of an incident 23NM west of Mukha, Yemen. A vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile. The resulting fire was successfully extinguished by the crew. Vessel and crew reported safe,» the authority said in a statement on X.
UKMTO advised vessels in the area to proceed with caution and report any suspicious activity.
The Houthi movement, which controls large parts of northern and western Yemen, vowed in November 2023 to attack any ships associated with Israel until it halts military actions in the Gaza Strip.
This led US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to announce the creation of a multinational operation to secure navigation in the Red Sea. US and UK forces later launched major strikes against Houthi positions in a bid to degrade the rebels’ ability to target commercial vessels.
