The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization said on Friday it had received a report of a failed hijacking attempt of a vessel 195 nautical miles east of Yemen's Aden.

The vessel's master reported being approached by a small craft carrying five or six armed people with ladders.

Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have launched drone and missile attacks on shipping in and around the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean since November to show support for the Palestinians in the Gaza war.

The attacks began after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called on Muslims to blockade Israel.

Maritime sources say pirates may be encouraged by a relaxation of security or may be taking advantage of the chaos caused by attacks on shipping by the Iran-aligned Houthis.

After firing on the vessel, the people in the small craft were forced to abort their approach when the security team on the vessel returned fire, the UKMTO reported.

The vessel and its crew are reported to be safe, and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call, it said.

The Houthis have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels, prompting a large naval operation to protect vessels and counter-strikes by the United States and Britain.