Mogadishu, Somalia — A cargo ship flying the flag of Malta and hijacked by Somali pirates is heading to Yemen, which has led to fears that the Somali pirates are collaborating with the Houthis.

The MV Ruen was on its way from Singapore to Gemlik, Turkey when it was hijacked by pirates in the Arabian Sea on Thursday.

The vessel, which had 18 crew members on board, was reportedly last seen traveling along the northeastern coast of Puntland.

However, according to a recent tracking of the Ruen ship, it was found to be heading north towards Bab-el-Mandeb in the Red Sea.

Maritime experts fear that Somali pirates are cooperating with Houthi groups in Yemen, who have recently been targeting foreign ships.

On November 19, Houthi rebels, using a helicopter, ambushed a Japanese cargo ship, the MV Galaxy, docked near the Red Sea port of Hodeidah in Yemen.

Several shipping companies, including Germany's Hapag-Lloyd and Denmark's Maersk, said they would suspend shipping operations in the Red Sea until further notice, citing the targeting of commercial vessels plying the Red Sea.