ADEN, Yemen, June 10 (ANI) — A maritime security incident has been reported off the coast of Yemen after a commercial vessel encountered a suspicious craft carrying armed individuals, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
UKMTO said the confrontation occurred in international shipping lanes approximately 88 nautical miles (163 kilometers) southwest of Balhaf, Yemen.
Providing details of the incident, the agency reported that “a cargo vessel has reported being approached by a small craft carrying six armed people” while transiting the area.
The encounter escalated into a brief exchange of gunfire when the vessel’s onboard security team responded to the approaching threat.
According to UKMTO, “there was an exchange of fire between the small craft and the vessel’s armed security team, and the craft then turned away,” bringing the incident to an end without further escalation.
The confrontation highlights growing security concerns along key maritime trade routes in the region and comes shortly after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement announced a ban on Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea.
In a statement issued Monday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree declared that “a ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea” was now in effect and warned that any Israeli-linked target would be attacked.
The group also signaled plans to intensify its military operations in response to ongoing regional developments.
“Escalation will be met with escalation, and our operations will intensify in accordance with developments,” Saree said.
The announcement followed a series of rocket launches from Houthi-controlled territory. The group linked the attacks to what it described as a coordinated regional response to Israeli military operations.
Claiming responsibility for strikes targeting central Israel, Saree said, “Under the principle of the ‘Unity of the Fronts’ and in response to Israeli aggression against Lebanon, Iran, and Gaza, our forces launched a missile barrage at sensitive targets in occupied Jaffa.”
Earlier Monday, the Houthis launched rockets toward central Israel. Israeli emergency services reported no injuries resulting from the attacks. (ANI)
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