Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced on Wednesday that it had received a report of an unauthorized boarding of a commercial vessel after several small boats carrying armed men approached the ship approximately 76 nautical miles south of Balhaf, east of Yemen.
According to the UK maritime agency, a group of armed individuals successfully boarded the vessel and damaged the ship’s bridge as well as several adjacent compartments before departing aboard a small boat carrying four individuals armed with rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers.
The UKMTO confirmed that the vessel’s crew remained safe after taking refuge in the ship’s citadel (safe room) during the attack. However, it noted that the boat carrying the armed men was still operating in the vicinity of the incident.
The agency said that investigations into the circumstances of the attack are ongoing and advised all commercial vessels transiting the area to exercise extreme caution and immediately report any suspicious activity to the appropriate maritime authorities.
