A merchant vessel has successfully fought off an armed assault by multiple small craft approximately 15 nautical miles west of Yemen, underscoring the fragile security situation in the Red Sea even as global shipping cautiously weighs a return to the strategic corridor.
The incident was confirmed by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre, which said the vessel was approached by around 15 small boats that closed in to within one to two cables.
An exchange of fire followed, after which the attackers withdrew from the area. The ship was able to continue its voyage, and all crew members were reported safe.
In its incident report, UKMTO said the vessel’s master confirmed that the ship remained on high alert throughout the encounter, adding that no injuries or damage were reported.
The organisation later classified the event as suspicious activity and advised vessels transiting the area to exercise heightened caution and to report any unusual movements immediately.
The latest incident is part of a troubling pattern of maritime insecurity off Yemen’s coast. Earlier this month, a bulk carrier transiting the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait came under a coordinated assault involving several small craft and what was believed to be a mothership.
The vessel, identified through maritime tracking data as the Bobic, was targeted twice in quick succession but successfully repelled both attacks with the support of its armed security team. Another nearby vessel, the Globe Aliki, observed the approaching boats from about one nautical mile away but was not directly targeted.
These incidents are occurring against a backdrop of tentative optimism in the Red Sea shipping corridor, a vital artery for global trade linking Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal.
In November, Yemen’s Houthi movement announced a suspension of its maritime operations in the Red Sea, prompting some shipping companies to reassess previously suspended routes.
However, maritime security analysts have warned that the threat should be regarded as contained rather than removed, with the potential for renewed attacks remaining high.
Despite the ongoing risks, traffic through the Suez Canal has shown modest signs of recovery.
Official figures for November recorded 1,156 vessels transiting the canal, carrying a total of 48.5 million tonnes of cargo and generating revenues of $383.4 million.
This represented an improvement compared with the same period last year, when about 1,000 ships carrying 38.3 million tonnes produced revenues of $300.6 million.
For ship operators and crews, however, the latest attack serves as a stark reminder that the Red Sea remains a volatile environment.
While the master of the most recently targeted vessel confirmed that all personnel are safe, limited details have been released due to the immediacy of the incident.
Maritime authorities continue to urge vigilance, stressing that any easing of tension in the region remains tentative and reversible.