DUBAI: The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Tuesday that a merchant vessel passing through the Gulf of Aden off Yemen experienced two explosions in “close proximity.”
According to UKMTO, the vessel and its crew are safe, and authorities are currently investigating the blasts, which occurred south of Yemen’s southern port city of Aden.
While UKMTO, managed by Britain’s Royal Navy, did not disclose specific details about the ship or the nature of the attack, Houthi have been responsible for numerous drone and missile strikes against ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November.
The Houthis claim these attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza conflict and have recently threatened to expand their operations to target Israel-bound shipping in the Mediterranean Sea.
In response to the escalating threats, the United States initiated measures in December to safeguard Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks, leading many major companies to reconsider using the route that typically handles 12 percent of global trade.
Since January, both the US and Britain have conducted retaliatory strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. Just on Monday, US military forces intercepted a drone launched by the Houthis over the Red Sea, as confirmed by the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM).
CENTCOM stated that the drone posed an imminent threat to US coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region.
