EMEA News
UK Reports New Ship Attack in Red Sea
A new attack has been reported on a commercial ship in the Red Sea, according to a British government agency monitoring maritime security in the region.
The ship came under attack about 63 nautical miles south-west of Al Hudaydah at 10:44 PM UTC on Monday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said in a social media post.
"The master reports an explosion a distance from the vessel," the agency said.
The ship then came under attack a second time shortly afterwards.
"At 1:40 AM UTC, a small craft was observed in the vicinity acting suspiciously and flashing lights towards the vessel," the agency said.
"At 3:13 AM UTC, the master reported a second explosion in close proximity to the vessel.
"The vessel and crew are reported safe, and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call."
Commercial ships operating near Yemen have been coming under attack from the country's Houthi movement over the past nine months in a response to the conflict in Gaza.
Several leading shipping companies have been avoiding the region altogether, taking longer routes around Africa rather than using the Suez Canal. This is likely to deliver a significant boost to bunker demand and freight markets while the current situation continues.
