Two U.S. Navy ships collided in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, the Associated Press reported. No sailors were injured in the incident.

The USNS Amelia Earhart and the USNS Walter S. Diehl touched off the coast of Yemen in what a Navy spokesman deemed a "minor collision." The vessels, which resupply Navy warships that conduct operations for the U.S. 5th Fleet, were in the midst of an exchange of goods, the news service added.

"Naval 'underway replenishments' typically involve ships coming within 100 to 150 feet, or 30 to 45 meters, of one another and ferrying dry goods across cables and fuel through hoses," the Associated Press detailed

Only "relatively minor damage" was sustained when the ships collided, and they were able to continue to operate during repairs, 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Kevin Stephens told the AP.

"Initial reports indicate only minor damage to both ships. The ships are operating under their own power and are continuing their assigned missions," a Navy statement detailed.

The Earhart is a dry cargo and ammunition supply ship, while the Diehl serves as a replenishment oiler, Stars and Stripes noted. The military newspaper said the incident occurred at 5:26 a.m. The Earhart typically has a crew of about 170, the Diehl of about 100.

U.S. and international naval forces have been patrolling the Gulf of Adan as an anti-piracy task force for years, according to Defense News. The 5th Fleet has a mission that encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water around the Middle East region, including the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, Stars and Stripes added.

The fleet is based at a Naval Support Activity in the small island country of Bahrain, which also houses U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. A former installation of the British Royal Navy, It is the primary base in the region for the naval and marine activities in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn.

An investigation will determine what exactly led to Thursday's collision between the two vessels, the Navy said.