UKMTO reports missiles incident southwest of Yemen’s Aden

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Friday it had received a report of two missiles exploding in waters near a ship off Yemen’s port of Aden.

The vessel and crew are safe and no damage has been reported, the UKMTO said in an advisory note.

It said the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call and coalition forces are responding.

In a separate incident on Friday, the UKMTO said it had received a report of an incident involving a ship 60 nautical miles off the Red Sea port of Al Hudaidah where Houthi militants have been launching attacks on shipping.

Iran-aligned Houthi militia in Yemen have repeatedly dispatched drones and fired missiles targeting commercial ships since mid-November.

They claim this is a response to Israel’s military actions in Gaza. This campaign by the Houthis has rocked global shipping, leading several companies to halt their Red Sea journeys and opt for a longer and more expensive route going around Africa.

The United States and UK launched airstrikes against Houthi forces in Yemen in retaliation for the attacks on Red Sea shipping.