UK maritime agency says it recieved a report of an incident 70 nautical miles southwest of Yemen
UKMTO added that a vessel was approached and hailed by a white skiff with five persons on board, and that this was followed by an exchange of small-arms fire.A UK maritime agency said on Tuesday that it received a report of an exchange of fire involving a vessel and a small boat around 70 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's port of Aden.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said a vessel was approached and hailed by a white skiff carrying five people, and that this was followed by an exchange of small-arms fire.Two additional skiffs were also reported in the vicinity, and authorities were investigating, according to UKMTO.Houthis launched multiple attacks on vessels in pastYemen's Houthis have launched numerous attacks on vessels in the Red Sea since 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's war in Gaza. But the attacks have halted since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was brokered in October.HOUTHI TERRORISTS carry weapons as they stand near the site of Israeli airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, in September. Iran has reportedly lost control of the Houthis, the writer notes. (credit: KHALED ABDULLAH/REUTERS)However, some shipping companies remain wary of resuming voyages through those waters.The attacks have disrupted trade flows through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, one of the world's busiest shipping routes.Somali pirate gangs, who often used small, fast open boats known as skiffs, were once active in the area.
