Blasts reported in Gulf of Aden in first suspected Houthi attack of the month

A ship sailing through the Gulf of Aden came under fire Tuesday in a new suspected attack launched by Yemen’s Houthi group.

If confirmed, the incident, which took place some 180 nautical miles east of the coastal town of Nishtun, would be the first Houthi launch targeting commercial shipping this month. 

Prior to this, the last recorded attack occurred on June 28, when five missiles landed near another vessel 150 nautical miles of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah, causing no damage.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in an update Tuesday that the vessel had reported an explosion nearby but no damage or injuries to the crew. 

No further details were revealed on what caused the blast, but the ship is reported to be heading to the nearest port.

The Houthis, which have since November employed a variety of tactics, including missile launches, drone attacks, and the use of unmanned surface vessels, have not claimed responsibility for the attack.

This most recent incident took place in the farthest reaches of the waterway, earlier targeted by the Houthis. Last month, the group claimed an attack on the Liberian-flagged containership MSC Sarah V using a long-range hypersonic ballistic missile, signalling a potential expansion of their target zone.