The vessel and all crew are safe and authorities are investigating. (Representative)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates:
A merchant ship passing through the Gulf of Aden off Yemen reported two explosions “in close proximity”, British maritime safety agency UKMTO said on Tuesday.
UK Maritime Trade Operations said “the ship and all crew are safe”, adding that “authorities are investigating” the explosions south of the southern Yemeni port city of Aden.
UKMTO WARNING INCIDENT 070 Update 001
MAY 7, 2024https://t.co/6mNrG6W5iO#Maritime Security#MarSecpic.twitter.com/g50r03vcyR— UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) May 7, 2024
The UKMTO, run by the Royal Navy, did not provide details about the ship or the nature of the attack.
Yemen’s Huthi rebels, backed by Iran, have launched dozens of drone and missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November.
The Huthis say their campaign is one of solidarity with Palestinians in the midst of the war in Gaza.
On Friday, they threatened to expand operations targeting Israel-bound shipping into the Mediterranean Sea.
The United States announced an initiative in December to protect Red Sea shipping from Huthi attacks, prompting major companies to avoid the route that normally carries 12 percent of global trade.
Since January, the US and Britain have also launched repeated retaliatory strikes against Huthi targets in Yemen.
On Monday, US military forces shot down a drone launched by the Huthis over the Red Sea, the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.
The drone “posed an imminent threat to U.S. coalition forces and merchant ships in the region,” CENTCOM said.
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