ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Tuesday that it had received a report of an incident about 70 nautical miles southwest of Aden, Yemen.
According to a statement posted on social media platform X, a vessel was "approached and hailed by a white skiff carrying five persons onboard." The situation later escalated into an exchange of small arms fire.
The UKMTO added that "two additional skiffs were reported in the vicinity" at the time of the incident.
No immediate information was available on casualties or damage to the vessel.
Meanwhile, a Yemeni coast guard official told Xinhua that the forces are following up on the incident "but declined to provide further details on the vessel and its crew," saying it is "still under investigation."
The Gulf of Aden forms part of a vital maritime corridor linking the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. In recent years, the waterway and the neighboring Red Sea have witnessed repeated attacks on commercial vessels, widely attributed to Houthi forces, who said their operations were intended to pressure Israel and its allies in solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza conflict. ■
