An explosion that took place near a ship in the Red Sea on Monday is suspected to have been an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, though the blast caused no damage, authorities said
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An explosion that took place near a ship in the Red Sea on Monday is suspected to have been an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, though the blast caused no damage, authorities said.
The master of the vessel reported the explosion and said no one was hurt, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.
The private security firm Ambrey say the incident may have involved a missile, but information remained scarce.
The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, though it typically takes the rebels several hours to acknowledge their strikes.
The blast comes after a Houthi missile struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden last week, killing three of its crew members and forcing survivors to abandon the vessel.
It was the first fatal strike in a campaign of assaults by the Iranian-backed group over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis say the attacks are intended to pressure Israel into stopping the war, but their targets increasingly have little or nothing to do with the conflict.
Other recent Houthi actions include an attack last month on a cargo ship carrying fertilizer, the Rubymar, which later sank after drifting for several days, and the downing of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars.
An explosion near a commercial ship in the Red Sea has raised concerns about the ongoing conflict in Yemen, with many experts pointing to Houthi rebels as the likely culprits. The incident occurred on Wednesday, when a ship belonging to an Israeli company was hit by an explosion while sailing through the Red Sea. The ship, which was carrying a cargo of cars, sustained significant damage but fortunately no casualties were reported.
The Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, have been engaged in a protracted conflict with the Yemeni government and a Saudi-led coalition since 2014. The rebels have frequently targeted commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, using missiles and drones to disrupt shipping lanes and threaten international trade. This latest incident is just the most recent in a series of attacks carried out by the rebels in the region.
The Houthi rebels have denied responsibility for the explosion, but many experts believe that they are the most likely perpetrators. The rebels have a history of targeting ships in the Red Sea, and their use of missiles and drones makes them capable of carrying out such attacks. Additionally, the timing of the incident, coming just days after a missile strike on a Saudi oil facility, suggests that the rebels are escalating their campaign against their enemies in the region.
The explosion near the ship in the Red Sea has raised concerns about the safety of commercial shipping in the region. The Red Sea is a vital waterway for global trade, with thousands of ships passing through its waters each year. Any disruption to shipping lanes in the region could have serious economic consequences, affecting everything from oil prices to consumer goods.
In response to the incident, the Israeli government has vowed to take action against those responsible for the attack. The government has not ruled out military retaliation against the Houthi rebels, and has called on the international community to condemn their actions. The United States has also expressed its support for Israel and has called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
Overall, the explosion near the ship in the Red Sea is a troubling development that highlights the ongoing conflict in Yemen and the threat posed by Houthi rebels to international shipping. As tensions continue to escalate in the region, it is crucial for all parties involved to work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict and ensure the safety of commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
