UKMTO: Sea drone strikes ship near Yemen’s Hodeidah

A sea drone attacked a ship off Yemen’s Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah on Tuesday, puncturing a ballast tank used for adjusting buoyancy, according to a British maritime agency.

“The vessel has been hit by an uncrewed surface vessel. Number 6 port ballast tank has been punctured,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, run by Britain’s Royal Navy, said in a statement, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The same ship, sailing 64 nautical miles (118 kilometers) northwest of Hodeidah, had come under threat earlier on Tuesday, UKMTO said, reporting four splashes sighted in close proximity.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

But Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November, in a campaign they say is intended to signal solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war.

The drone and missile attacks have disrupted maritime traffic in the Red Sea and triggered reprisal strikes by the United States and Britain against Houthi targets in Yemen.

News.Az