A missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels that damaged a Belize-flagged ship travelling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden has forced the crew to abandon the ship.
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Another ship reportedly came under attack as well in the Gulf of Aden.
The Iran-backed Houthis also claimed they shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, something not immediately acknowledged by US forces in the region.
However, the Houthis have downed US drones before.
The US military said it was conducting new air strikes targeting the rebels, including one that targeted the first Houthi underwater drone seen since they began launching attacks on international shipping in November.
The ship targeted in the Houthi attack on Sunday reported sustaining damage after "an explosion in close proximity to the vessel," the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported.
"Military authorities report crew have abandoned the vessel," the centre said.
"Vessel at anchor and all crew are safe."
Houthi Brigadier General Yahya Saree issued a statement claiming the attack, saying the vessel was "now at risk of potentially sinking".
"The ship suffered catastrophic damages and came to a complete halt," Saree said.
"During the operation, we made sure that the ship's crew exited safely."
The private security firm Ambrey reported the British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo ship had been on its way to Bulgaria after leaving Khorfakkan in the United Arab Emirates.
Ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic.com analysed by the Associated Press identified the vessel targeted as the Rubymar.
Its Beirut-based manager could not be reached for comment.
The Houthis later also identified the ship as the Rubymar.
Ambrey described the ship as being partially laden with cargo, but it was not immediately clear what it had been carrying.
Later on Monday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre and Ambrey said a second vessel came under attack in the Gulf of Aden.
Ambrey described the vessel as a Greek-flagged, US-owned bulk carrier bound for Aden, Yemen, from Argentina.
Those details, combined with ship-tracking data, identified the vessel as the Sea Champion.
Its managers could not be immediately reached.
Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over Israel's war targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
They have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperilling shipping in a key route for trade among Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Those vessels have included at least one with cargo for Iran, its main benefactor.
In a separate attack, Saree also claimed that Houthi forces shot down an MQ-9 drone near Yemen's port city of Hodeida on the Red Sea.
He offered no evidence for the claim.
The US military did not immediately confirm the loss of any drones in the region.
However, the Houthis have surface-to-air missile systems capable of shooting down high-flying American drones.
In November, the Pentagon acknowledged the loss of an MQ-9 shot down by the rebels over the Red Sea.
Australian Associated Press
