Attackers in a small boat exchanged fire with security forces on a cargo ship off the coast of Yemen, the UK's Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Wednesday.
UKMTO said six attackers approached the freighter, triggering the exchange of fire. The small boat then turned away. Ships in the vicinity were urged to navigate the area with caution.
In Yemen, the Iran-backed Houthi militia is active and controls the north and large parts of the western Red Sea coast. Following the latest escalation in the Iran war, it recently attacked Israel again and also announced a blockade of sea routes for Israel in the Red Sea.
Since 2023, the militia has attacked dozens of ships in the region with alleged links to Israel, sometimes sinking them or causing severe damage.
However, the area where the exchange of fire occurred is further south in the Gulf of Aden, according to UKMTO.
Yemen's coast in this area is controlled by the country's internationally recognized government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. In the Gulf of Aden, piracy incidents also repeatedly occur with involvement from criminal networks in Somalia.
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