Houthis in Yemen announced an attack on an American ship in the Gulf of Aden

The Iranian-backed Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement that rules northern Yemen has announced an attack on another US ship in the Gulf of Aden after US and British aircraft began bombing their positions.

“The Yemeni naval forces carried out attacks using anti-ship missiles on a US ship in the Gulf of Aden in response to aggression against Yemeni territory,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saria said on Al-Masirah TV. He promised that Yemen's armed forces would respond to any attacks against the republic.

An unmanned aerial vehicle attacked a ship 60 nautical miles southeast of the Yemeni port of Aden, causing a fire on board, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) under the Royal Navy reported.

According to its data, the "vessel has been hit on the port side" and that "there was fire on board which has now been extinguished." The UKMTO advised ships to "transit with caution" in the area.

There is yet no information about the attacked vessel. 

A US official told Al Arabiya English that an American-owned and operated vessel was struck in an attack that was launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen on Wednesday.

The vessel was not US-flagged. After being hit, the ship continued on its journey, according to the official.