Ship comes under gunfire, grenade attack in Red Sea off the coast of Yemen

Guns were fired and rocket-propelled grenades launched at a ship in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen on Sunday (July 6), said a group overseen by the British military, as reported by the Associated Press. No one has so far claimed responsibility of the incident.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said that an armed security team on the ship returned fire and that the “situation is ongoing", according to the news agency.

The incident occurred 51 nautical miles (94 kilometres) southwest of the Yemeni port of Hodeida, said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.

"The vessel has been engaged by multiple small vessels who have opened fire with small arms and self-propelled grenades. (The) armed security team have returned fire and situation is ongoing," said UKMTO, which is run by Britain's Royal Navy.

Two unmanned surface vehicles hit the merchant vessel "damaging the vessel's cargo", while two other unmanned vessels were repelled, said Ambrey, a UK-based security firm.

though no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, Ambrey said the vessel matched "the established Houthi target profile".

Recently, there were several instances of attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the Israel-Hamas war, but a ceasefire has so far been in place in the region. There have also been instances of Pirates from Africa attacking some of the ships in the region.

The Houthis, who have been controlling a large part of Yemen for over a decade began to attack Israel-linked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden November 2023 onwards, a few weeks after the Israel-Hamas war began in Gaza.

(with inputs from agencies)