A missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels hit an Antigua- and Barbuda-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, the latest assault on shipping in the region.
Within a week, atleast 3 ships either been hit or was targeted.
The missile hit the ship's forward station late Saturday, starting a fire that those on board later put out, the private security firm Ambrey said. A second missile fired at the ship missed and people "on board small boats in the vicinity opened fire on the ship during the incident," Ambrey added, though no one was hurt onboard.
The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center similarly reported the attack and fire in the same area off Aden, saying "damage control is underway."
A sailor was severely wounded after a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden was hit by two cruise missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Thursday.
The MV Verbena, a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated cargo ship reported that it had been damaged, with the crew fighting fires on board.
The vessel was en route to Italy.
The attack on the MV Verbena comes after the Houthis crashed a bomb-laden boat into a commercial ship in the Red Sea on Wednesday.
The Houthis, who seized Yemen’s capital about a decade ago, have been attacking commercial shipping throughout the Red Sea. They say the attacks are aimed at stopping Israel's war in Gaza and supporting Palestinians, although they strike vessels that have nothing to do with the conflict.
Meanwhile, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported an explosion close to a merchant vessel in the Red Sea, about 80 nautical miles north-west of Yemen's rebel-held Hodeida port, but said there was no damage or casualties.
The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping that have killed three sailors. They have also seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the US Maritime Administration.
