COPENHAGEN, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Shipping company Maersk said on Wednesday two U.S.-flagged vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait northbound accompanied by the U.S. Navy had turned around after seeing explosions nearby.

"While enroute, both ships reported seeing explosions close by and the U.S. 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 U.S. Navy, Maersk said.

Both vessels are operated by Maersk's U.S. subsidiary that carries cargo for the Department of Defense, Department of State, USAID, and other U.S. government agencies.

They are both enrolled in the Maritime Security Program and Voluntary Intermodal Sealift with the U.S. government, which is why it was escorted through the strait by U.S. navy vessels, Maersk said. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by Toby Chopra)