Aden, Sep 2 (IANS): A merchant vessel came under attack approximately 70 nautical miles (about 130 km) northwest of Saleef, Yemen, reported the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Monday.

According to the agency, the master of the affected vessel said that the ship was struck by two unknown projectiles, prompting immediate damage control measures.

It added that a third explosion was heard close to the vessel, further escalating the emergency, Xinhua news agency reported.

Despite the attack, there were no reported casualties among the crew.

In response to the attack, the UKMTO has issued an advisory to all vessels transiting the area, urging them to proceed with caution and report any suspicious activity.

The attack occurred amid rising tensions in the region, particularly in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, where Houthi rebels from Yemen have been targeting commercial ships in recent months. While no group has yet claimed responsibility for the latest incident, it bears similarities to previous Houthi attacks on maritime traffic, according to Yemeni officials.

The Houthi-launched maritime attacks are part of a series of assaults by Houthi forces on ships in the Red Sea. The group claims these actions are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

In response to the Houthi maritime attacks, the US-led naval coalition operating in the region has stepped up strikes on Houthi military sites. However, this has only spurred the tit-for-tat exchanges, with the Houthis vowing to continue targeting vessels they claim are linked to Israel.