World News
UK Reports New Ship Attack in Red Sea
A new attack on a commercial ship has been reported in the Red Sea, according to a British government agency monitoring maritime security in the region.
The ship first came under attack about 64 nautical miles north-west of Al Hudaydah at 1:40 AM UTC on Tuesday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said in a social media post.
"The master reports four splashes sighted in close proximity to the vessel," the agency said.
"All crew are safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call.
"Authorities are investigating."
The ship then came under attack a second time at 5 AM UTC, with an uncrewed surface vessel striking it and puncturing one of its ballast tanks.
Commercial ships operating near Yemen have been coming under attack from the country's Houthi movement over the past ten 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.