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A cargo vessel reported being approached by a small craft carrying six armed individuals 88 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's Balhaf on Wednesday, with the two sides exchanging fire, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
"There was an exchange of fire between the small craft and the cargo vessel's armed security team, resulting in the small craft turning away," UKMTO said in a statement posted on X.
The agency said authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. No further details were immediately released.
Meanwhile, violent clashes erupted Tuesday in western Yemen's Hodeidah province between government forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels, with government troops repelling what officials described as a large-scale Houthi assault.
According to Yemen's state television, the Houthis launched a broad attack on positions held by government forces in the Hays district, south of Hodeidah province.
Heavy fighting broke out following the assault, the broadcaster reported, adding that government forces repelled the attack and inflicted heavy casualties and significant equipment losses on the Houthis.
No additional details were provided, and the Houthis had not commented on the clashes at the time of reporting.
Although fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis has periodically flared up, the country has experienced relative calm since April 2022.
The conflict between the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Houthis, who have controlled the capital Sanaa and numerous other cities and provinces since 2014, has continued for more than 11 years, devastating the country's infrastructure and contributing to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
The United Nations has continued efforts to facilitate peace and end the conflict.
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