Ship in Red Sea Attacked Off Coast of Yemen

A ship traveling in the Red Sea was attacked off the coast of Yemen, a watchdog group run by the British military said. The attack took place on Thursday near the port city of Hodeida, which is held by the Houthi rebels, which have been fighting a years-long war against Yemen’s internationally recognized government, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations group. An investigation has been opened into the incident. The US Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet said it was aware of the attack, the Associated Press reported. Dryad Global, a maritime intelligence firm, reported that the vessel involved was the Lakota, a Hong Kong-flagged, 62-foot sailboat. Reports in the Arab media said that the passengers on the sailboat were French tourists sailing into international waters. According to Dryad, several unsuccessful attempts were made to board the vessel, by unknown individuals piloting small watercraft. The sailboat reportedly left the area after the attack.