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Cargo vessel ‘hit by missile’ off Yemen coast

Another cargo vessel has been targeted and hit by a missile off the coast of Yemen, according to reports.

The Greek-owned bulk carrier MT Zografia with 24 crew on board was sailing empty of cargo from Vietnam to Israel, a Greek shipping ministry source told Reuters news agency.

The vessel was hit by a missile off Yemen while transiting northbound in the Red Sea, sources said, adding no one was injured.

British maritime security firm, Ambrey, warned in an advisory note on Tuesday that a Malta-flagged Greek-owned bulk carrier was reportedly targeted and hit by a missile.

Royal Navy agency UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) – which provides security information to merchant shipping – also said it had received a report of an “incident” 100 nautical miles northwest of Saleef.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November in what they say is an effort to support Palestinian group Hamas in its war with Israel in Gaza.

The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the attack – which comes in the wake of US and UK-led airstrikes on them last week.

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More than 60 targets in 28 locations in Yemen were hit with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine.

Both US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have refused to rule out further strikes.

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Around 12% of global trade passes through the Red Sea.

In response, some shipping companies have instructed vessels to sail around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, a slower and more expensive route.

Concerns have been growing about the global economic impact of the disruption to shipping through the vital Red Sea, with vessels choosing to divert, pushing up the cost of trade and causing inflation to rise.

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