Istanbul/London, 05 July (H.S.): Slug: The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre on Sunday reported that a cargo vessel came under attack near Yemen's Red Sea coast. According to the agency, the ship transmitted a distress message stating that it had been attacked by unidentified armed assailants.
The UKMTO said the incident occurred approximately 30 nautical miles southwest of Al Hudaydah Port in Yemen. The agency announced on the social media platform X that it is investigating the incident.
The UKMTO has advised all vessels operating in the area to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity. No further details regarding the nature of the attack or possible casualties have been released so far.
The latest incident follows two separate security-related reports received by the UKMTO on July 1 in the same region. In the first case, a small boat carrying four people approached a tanker under suspicious circumstances south of Balhaf, Yemen. The boat later moved away from the area, and the vessel's crew remained safe.
In the second incident, another vessel reported that individuals aboard a small boat attempted to approach it while carrying weapons. The crew took shelter inside the vessel's designated safe room, or citadel, and later confirmed that they were unharmed.
Following these incidents, concerns over maritime security in the Red Sea have intensified. The UKMTO has once again urged all ships operating in the region to exercise extreme caution and maintain a high level of vigilance.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
