Cairo: On Saturday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported two attacks on a vessel located 64 nautical miles (118.5 km) northwest of Yemen’s Mokha. The attacks caused minor damage to the vessel.
According to UKMTO, the vessel was struck by an Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS), which exploded near the ship, and an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV), which also detonated nearby. A maritime security source informed Reuters that the vessel, identified as a Liberia-flagged container ship, was attacked by a skiff and drones. Following the attacks, the ship maneuvered at full speed to evade further threats while awaiting assistance from a warship.
The UKMTO added that the captain of the vessel reported additional UAS sightings but confirmed that “both the vessel and the crew are safe.”
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Earlier, UKMTO had reported a separate incident that occurred late Friday, 83 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s Aden. A Singapore-flagged vessel was damaged by a Houthi strike. This incident remains under investigation.
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Asiatic Lloyd, the shipping company that owns and operates the attacked vessel, stated on Saturday that all crew members and armed guards were safe. The vessel, en route from Berbera in Somalia to Colombo in Sri Lanka, has docked at an undisclosed port to assess the damage and plan for repairs.
