(Jerusalem) A ship near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait saw an explosion in the distance on Wednesday, marking what could be a new attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the crucial waterway for international trade.
The explosion, reported by the British Army’s Maritime Commercial Operations Centre, comes after a relative lull by the Houthis, who have launched dozens of attacks on shipping in the region due to the ongoing war. ‘Israel is currently leading against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the explosion, but suspicion has turned to the group, which has repeatedly targeted ships in the same area. The Houthis usually take several hours before recognizing their attacks.
The explosion occurred some 130 kilometers southeast of Djibouti, in the Gulf of Aden.
“The captain of a merchant vessel reports an explosion in the water some distance from the vessel,” the UKMTO said. The ship and crew are declared safe and sound. Authorities are investigating. »
Private maritime security company Ambrey separately reported the apparent attack.
According to the US Maritime Administration, the Houthis have launched more than fifty attacks on ships, seized one ship and sunk another since November.
Houthi attacks have declined in recent weeks as the rebels have been the target of a campaign of U.S.-led airstrikes in Yemen and shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined due to the threat. U.S. officials have speculated that the rebels may be short of weapons due to the U.S.-led campaign against them and regular drone and missile strikes in recent months.
The Houthis have said they will continue their attacks until Israel ends its war in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians. The war began after Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage.
The ships targeted by the Houthis, for the most part, have little or no direct ties to Israel, the United States or other countries involved in the war. The rebels also fired missiles towards Israel, but they either did not hit their target or the shells were intercepted.
The attacks on the ships raised the profile of the Houthis, who are members of the minority Shiite Zaydi sect, who ruled Yemen for a thousand years until 1962. The group seized Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, in late 2014. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the group in a conflict without a solution since 2015.