SANAA - A sea drone attack on Tuesday struck and punctured a ship's ballast tank near Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The ship "has been hit by an uncrewed surface vessel. Number 6 port ballast tank has been punctured," the UKMTO said on social media X.

The incident occurred 64 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, a city on the Red Sea coast under the control of Yemeni Houthi rebels.

Since November 2023, the Houthi group has targeted ships they claim are "Israeli-linked" in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, showing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

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In response, the US-British coalition stationed in the region has been conducting regular raids and strikes on Houthi targets since January to deter the group.