UKMTO receives report of ship incident near Yemen's Hodeidah port

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization on Saturday received a report of an incident in the Red Sea about 55 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.

The master of the unidentified ship reported "a loud bang accompanied by a flash on the port bow of the vessel" and several explosions in the vicinity of the area, the UKMTO said in an advisory note.

No damage was reported and all crew were reported to be safe. The vessel has now cleared the area at full speed to the next port of call, the note said.

Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi militants, who control much of Yemen including the capital Sanaa, have stepped up attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea in protest against Israel's war in Gaza.

Several shipping lines have suspended operations through the Red Sea in response to the attacks, instead taking the longer journey around Africa.

The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks until Israel halts the conflict in Gaza, and warned that it would attack U.S. warships if the militia group itself was targeted.