Explosions Seen Close To Cargo Ship In Bab el-Mandeb Strait; UK Agency Reports Crew Safe

Explosions were reported late Tuesday near a cargo ship in the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Arabian Peninsula from the Horn of Africa.

Maritime Trade Operations in the United Kingdom claimed it had received reports of up to three explosions 1-5 nautical miles from the merchant vessel, which was sailing between the shores of Eritrea and Yemen.

“Master reports no damage to the vessel and crew are reported safe at present”, the British Royal Navy-run agency, said in a brief message.

“Authorities are investigating”, it added.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels have unleashed a barrage of drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels passing the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

They claim their strikes are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is fighting Hamas.

The Huthis have threatened that they will target ships sailing in the Red Sea with ties to Israel.

Several missiles and drones have been shot down by warships from the United States, France, and the United Kingdom patrolling the area.

According to the Pentagon, the Huthis, who govern the Yemeni capital Sanaa, and much of the Red Sea coast, have launched dozens of drone and missile attacks on a dozen merchant ships, putting a transit route that carries up to 12 percent of global trade at a risk, prompting the United States to establish a multinational naval task force to protect Red Sea shipping.

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