DUBAI — A cargo vessel was hit by a projectile near the Bab Al Mandeb Strait off the coast of southern Yemen, causing an unspecified number of casualties, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Tuesday.

 

"It has been reported that a cargo vessel in the southern Red Sea has been hit by an unknown projectile resulting in casualties," said the agency in a statement.

 

The statement came as a Yemeni coast guard source in the southern city of Mokha said a ship near the strait had been struck by the Houthis, killing three members of the crew.

 

“We managed to rescue the rest of the crew,” the source added.

 

A second source confirmed the incident, saying the ship had also been struck by a second projectile during the rescue operation, but that source did not provide the number of casualties.