British ship reportedly hit by rocket fire in Red Sea off Yemen coast

A British cargo ship is believed to have been hit by rocket fire while in the Red Sea, maritime security company Ambrey said on Sunday.

“A British Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier was reportedly attacked by rocket fire while crossing the Red Sea, approximately 34.5 km west-northwest of Mocha, Yemen,” Ambrey said.

“The bulk carrier was reportedly hit by a rocket and the crew retreated to the citadel,” they added.

Earlier on Sunday, British maritime security agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) indicated that it had received a report concerning the activity of a drone, “including a potential explosion”, “near Bab el Mandeb coming from the direction of Yemen”.

The wing of the British military issued a brief warning to shippers that the incident happened in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait which separates East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.

The UKMTO said drone activity had also been reported in the area.

The Bab el-Mandeb links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. That area has seen a series of attacks in recent weeks attributed to Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who have also launched missiles and drones toward Israel over its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The rebels are part of what they describe as an “axis of resistance” against Israel, along with groups supported by Iran, such as Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah.

The Houthis captured the merchant ship Galaxy Leader with its 25 crew members on 19 November. The Galaxy Leader was operated by a Japanese shipping company but belongs to a British company which is itself owned by an Israeli businessman.

The Houthis have not yet acknowledged Sunday’s incident.