A British-owned cargo ship was struck by a drone in the Red Sea in a suspected Houthi rebel assault.
The UK Maritime Trade Operation (UKMTO) says the ship was attacked west of Hodeida in Yemen just after midnight on Tuesday.
While no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, the Associated Press says the Iran-backed Houthi rebels are suspected to be behind the assault.
The Houthis have been targeting military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea over Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The UKMTO said the ship’s master was “aware of a small craft on his Port side” before a projectile was fired at the ship.
No crew were injured in the attack and the vessel sustained small damages to its bridge windows, but the vessel was deemed safe to continue its journey.
On Monday, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps told the Commons the UK will, if necessary, not hesitate to respond again “in self-defence” to Houthi’s in Yemen.
He was updating MPs after the UK and the US took part in joint airstrikes against Houthi rebel sites on Saturday.
Mr Shapps said the attacks were in line with international law and in self-defence, and had targeted “three military facilities” hitting “11 separate targets”, identified following “very careful analysis”.
