A merchant ship was attacked by gunmen in two boats before being hit with three projectiles off the coast of Yemen early Wednesday, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported.
The British military said the assault was likely carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The Iran-backed Houthis have been targeting ships in the region for months in support of Hamas’ fight with Israel.
Although no casualties were reported among the crew, the ship’s ability to maneuver was affected.
The British maritime security agency said the two smaller boats, one with three to five people and the other with 10 people aboard, hailed the merchant vessel “leading to a brief exchange of small arms fire.”
The ship moved 4 kilometers away from the smaller boats, and about two hours after the initial contact, “the Master reported that the merchant vessel had been struck by two unidentified projectiles before being hit by a third projectile. The vessel reports being not under command.”
The Houthis, who have attacked more than 70 vessels since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October, did not immediately claim the attack.
Material from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse was used in this report.
