London, Jan 15 (IANS): The UK Maritime Trade Operations security firm Ambrey on Monday said that the vessel struck by a missile off the south coast of Yemen was a US-owned cargo ship, media reports said.

Ambrey said that the attack targeted US interests in response to US military strikes on Houthi military positions in Yemen.

It said that a fire broke out on board the Marshall Islands-flagged, US-owned bulk carrier, but it remains seaworthy and there were no injuries, BBC reported.

It said that the vessel was assessed to not be Israel-affiliated.

The security firm said that earlier the master of a vessel reported that it had been "hit from above by a missile" near Yemen's southern port city of Aden, BBC reported.

A fresh attack on a ship passing through the Gulf of Aden is being investigated by United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), The Guardian reported.

It posted on X, that it had received reports of an “incident” 95 nautical miles south-east of Aden, Yemen.

“Master reports port side of vessel hit from above by a missile. Authorities are investigating,” The Guardian reported.