The UK Maritime Trade Operations said today, Saturday, that it received a report of an incident in the vicinity of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, 45 nautical miles southwest of Salif in Yemen.

The statement mentioned that authorities are conducting an investigation and guidance has been issued to ships to exercise caution when passing through, and nearby ship crews have been notified to "exercise caution and report any suspicious activity in the area."

Earlier today, Saturday, a commercial ship was attacked by a drone in the Indian Ocean, causing damage without casualties, according to two maritime agencies.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations also confirmed that the attack caused a fire on board the ship, while Ambrey Maritime Security stated that the ship is flying the Liberian flag but is "linked to Israel."

No party has yet claimed responsibility for this attack, which is considered the first of its kind on a ship linked to Israel outside the Gulf of Aden or the Red Sea since the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip.

Earlier also, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the launch of an "international coalition" of a multinational force to protect navigation in the Red Sea, following Houthi attacks on ships heading to Israel.

For their part, the Houthis affirm that their attacks on ships they say are linked to Israel or sail from or to its ports come "in support of the Palestinian people" in the war between Israel and Hamas, which broke out on the seventh of October.

They warned that they will continue their attacks until the needs of Gaza Strip residents for water and medicine are met.

The Houthi attacks have prompted major shipping companies to avoid passing their ships through the Red Sea and to change their routes around the southern tip of Africa, despite the increased costs.