Merchant ship hit in Red Sea off Yemen — monitors

DUBAI — A merchant ship was struck in the Red Sea off Yemen on Wednesday, monitors said, in what appeared to be the latest attack by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

The ship was hit about 68 nautical miles southwest of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, maritime security firm Ambrey said.

The company "assessed the vessel aligned with the Houthi target profile at the time of the incident", it said in a statement, without giving further details.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which is run by Britain's Royal Navy, said a ship was "hit on the stern by a small craft" 66 nautical miles southwest of Hodeida.

In a statement, UKMTO said the ship was taking on water and not under the crew's command.

It added the vessel was "hit for a second time by an unknown airborne projectile" and military authorities were assisting.

The Houthis, who are at war with a Saudi-led coalition after ousting the government from Sanaa in 2014, have launched scores of drone and missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November.

They say they are harassing the vital trade route as an act of solidarity with Palestinians during the Hamas-Israel war in the Gaza Strip.