CAIRO: The captain of a merchant vessel reported a missile hitting the water near the ship 52 nautical miles south of Yemen’s port of Aden, security information provider the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Wednesday. Citing a report it received of the incident, the UKMTO added that the crew of the vessel were reported safe as it headed for its next port of call. Global trade has been disrupted by Houthi attacks that have forced ship owners to reroute vessels away from the vital Suez Canal shortcut, and drawn retaliatory US and British strikes since February. The Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen have launched dozens of attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea region since November, in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas.