Explosion strikes near ship off Yemen coast; no damage reported

An explosion recently struck near a ship traveling through a crucial strait near Yemen, though no damage or injuries have been reported, the British military says.

No group immediately claims responsibility for the attack, but suspicion immediately falls on Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, an organization monitoring Mideast waterways overseen by the British military, reports the blast happened near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off Yemen.

The explosion happened some 100 meters (325 feet) from the vessel, but caused no damage and its crew is safe, it says.

The Houthis, who have been launching attacks on ships since November over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, does not immediately acknowledge the incident.

The US and the UK have launched rounds of airstrikes targeting suspected missile storage and launch sites used by the Houthis over the attacks.