British military says cargo ship reports being under attack in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen

A cargo ship came under attack yesterday off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea, the British military said, in the latest maritime attack off the conflict-torn Arab country.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported the attack off the coastal city of Hodeida, which is under the control of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

The UKMTO said the ship reported being “under attack by unknown armed assailants” 30 nautical miles southwest of Hodeida, and that authorities were investigating.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Houthis have threatened to resume attacks on ships, though they have not been carrying out recent strikes.

The rebels previously fired drones and missiles at ships passing through waters near territory they control, close to the narrow Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. Their attacks during the Gaza war forced shipping companies to reroute vessels around the southern tip of Africa instead of through the Suez Canal at the northern end of the Red Sea.

Somali pirates have also been active farther away in the Gulf of Aden recently.