The British Merchant Marine Transport Office (UKMTO) reported that a ship was attacked in the Red Sea today by several small vessels that opened fire with small arms and grenades, Reuters and the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
According to the British service, the attack took place 51 nautical miles (95 km) from the city of Hodeidah, Yemen.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes amid high tensions in the Middle East due to the war between Israel and the Palestinian movement "Hamas" and US air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The British service said the ship's security forces returned fire and that "the situation is ongoing". The incident is under investigation.
Yemen's Houthi rebels have been carrying out missile and drone attacks on commercial and military vessels in the region, which the group's leadership describes as an attempt to stop the Israeli offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis attacked more than 100 commercial ships with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors. This has significantly reduced trade flows through the Red Sea, which normally carries $1 trillion worth of goods annually.
Somali pirates are also active in the region, although they usually try to seize ships to rob them or kidnap their crews for ransom.