Aden/Yemen : The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has issued a warning after receiving reports of an explosion around a merchant ship passing off the coast of Yemen.
The ship’s owner reported hearing an explosion about 71 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port city of Salif, according to a UKMTO report released on Monday.
However, the ship and crew are said to be safe. The cause of the explosion is currently unknown. According to the report of Xinhua news agency, the US-led coalition forces operating in the area have started investigating the incident.
So far no group has taken responsibility for the incident.
Since November the Houthis have increasingly targeted merchant vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which they claim is in retaliation for Israeli attacks in Gaza.
The US and Britain launched air and missile strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen in mid-January. However, rather than halting or reducing the rebels’ capabilities, these attacks have emboldened Houthi forces to further embolden them.
