UNITED NATIONS:  Following the seizure of a United Arab Emirates (UAE) ship by the Houthi militia in Yemen, the UN has appealed for greatest caution.

While the circumstances are unknown, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' main spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, is reported as saying that the international organisation is monitoring reports of the seizure with concern. "We underscore the importance of respecting marine navigation rights and obligations in accordance with international law," he said.

"All involved parties and nations in the region are urged to display maximum prudence and desist from taking any escalatory action," the statement reads. According to the spokesman, the UN reiterates its call for "the Yemeni parties to engage with the secretary-special general's envoy (Swedish diplomat Hans Grundberg) and his mediation efforts with the goal of advancing the political process toward a comprehensive, negotiated settlement to end the country's conflict."

The Houthi militia claimed to have seized a UAE Navy ship off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea.On Monday, militia spokesman Yehya Sarea claimed, "The UAE ship carries military equipment and entered Yemeni regional waterways without permission."

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi militia in Yemen, on the other hand, said in a statement that the UAE-flagged vessel was attacked and seized by the militia.

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