Houthi militants have scored their first hit on a merchant ship in a little over a month, with a double strike on a tanker in the southern Red Sea.

The Royal Navy-led UK Maritime Trade Operations said the master of a vessel reported two attacks, including a missile strike that damaged the unidentified vessel.

The ship was 14 nautical miles (26 km) off the Yemeni port of Mocha, also known as Al Mokha, when an explosion took place near the vessel, close enough for the crew to feel the blast.