COPENHAGEN: Shipping company Maersk said on Wednesday two US-flagged vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait northbound accompanied by the US Navy had turned around after seeing explosions nearby.

“While enroute, both ships reported seeing explosions close by and the US Navy accompaniment also intercepted multiple projectiles,” Maersk said in a statement.

The vessels and crew were unharmed and were being escorted back to the Gulf of Aden by the US Navy, Maersk said.

Both vessels are operated by Maersk’s US subsidiary that carries cargo for the Department of Defense, Department of State, USAID, and other US government agencies. They are both enrolled in the Maritime Security Program and Voluntary Intermodal Sealift with the US government, which is why it was escorted through the strait by US navy vessels, Maersk said.