Cargo vessel attacked off Yemen coast: British navy

ISTANBUL (AA) – A cargo ship came under attack in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen's Al-Hudaydah port, a monitoring group run by the British navy said on Thursday.

In a statement, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations group (UKMTO) said the attack on the vessel happened 34 nautical miles off the coast of southwestern Al-Hudaydah port, which is under the Houthi group’s control.

"Investigations are ongoing," said the UKMTO without giving further details.

For years, several cargo ships were attacked off the Yemeni coast. The Yemeni government regularly accused the Houthi group of being behind the attacks, but the Houthis deny these accusations.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014 when Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to restore the Yemeni government to power.

The eight-year conflict has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with millions suffering from hunger.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar​​​​​​​