Dubai, United Arab Emirates — A suspected attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Wednesday, as authorities acknowledged that the rebels launched their widest-range attack yet against a US-flagged ship near the Sea Arabic.
The sudden outbreak of Houthi attacks comes after an unexplained week-and-a-half lull by the rebels. The rebels may be regrouping ahead of the arrival of a new U.S. aircraft carrier in the region after the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower began returning home.
Wednesday’s attack targeted a ship south of Mocha, the British military’s Maritime Commercial Operations center in the United Kingdom said. The captain reported explosions on the side of the ship.
The “vessel and all crew are safe,” the UKMTO said. “The ship is heading to its next port of call.”
The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea corridor since November. The rebels did not immediately claim responsibility for Wednesday’s attack, although they often do not do so for hours or even days.
On Tuesday, the Houthis said they launched missiles at a US-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Aden. The Joint Maritime Information Center, overseen by the U.S. Navy, identified the ship as the Maersk Sentosa and warned that it was the longest-range attack seen from Yemen by the Houthis since November.
Late Tuesday night, the Houthis widely claimed responsibility for three attacks, including the Maersk Sentosa. Maersk, a Danish company that is the world’s largest shipping company, confirmed to The Associated Press that its ship had been attacked.
“No injuries to the crew or damage to the ship or cargo were reported,” the shipping company said in the statement. “The ship is currently continuing its journey towards its next port of call.”
The rebels have attacked more than 70 vessels firing missiles and drones in their campaign that has killed four sailors. They seized a boat and sank two since November.
In June, the number of Houthi attacks on merchant ships increased to levels not seen since December, according to the JMIC. US-led airstrikes have targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, rebels say.
The Houthis maintain their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain as part of rebel support for the Hamas militant group in its war against Israel in the Gaza Strip. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the war between Israel and Hamas, including some bound for Iran.
Few of the Houthi attacks have targeted US-flagged commercial vessels.
The sudden increase in attacks in the Red Sea corridor comes after a relatively quiet week and a half. The rebels gave no explanation for the pause and resumption of attacks.
However, the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt will enter the Middle East region and replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which had spent months in the Red Sea to counter the Houthis.
The Navy has not offered new details about the Roosevelt’s location, although an image released by the Navy placed the aircraft carrier in the South China Sea last Friday.
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Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
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