Houthi Rebels Suspected in Gulf of Aden Ship Attack

A suspected attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday. The vessel's captain reported an explosion near the coast of Nishtun, Yemen. The British military confirms the ship and crew's safety. This is the latest incident in a series of maritime assaults by the Houthi group, who have a history of targeting vessels using drones, missiles, and bomb-carrying boats.

A suspected attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday, marking the latest assault blamed on the group on the crucial maritime trade route. The captain of the ship reported an explosion near the vessel off the coast of Nishtun, Yemen, close to the country's border with Oman, according to the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre. The ship, whose name and flag were not released, and all crew are safe, the UKMTO said in a warning to mariners.

The explosion occurred in the outermost regions of a waterway previously targeted by the rebels, the centre said. While the cause of the explosion remains unclear, the Houthis have a history of using drones, missiles, and bomb-carrying drone boats in their attacks.

The Houthis have not immediately commented on the incident. Historically, they have taken hours or even days to acknowledge carrying out such attacks. The most recent reported Houthi attack in this region occurred on June 28.

The rebels have targeted more than 60 vessels using missiles and drones in their campaign, resulting in the deaths of four sailors. They have also seized one vessel and sank two others since November. US-led airstrikes have targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 reportedly killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others.

The Houthis claim their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the US, or Britain, in support of Hamas. However, several attacked ships have had little to no connection to the Israel-Hamas conflict, including some en route to Iran.

On June 28, five missiles landed near a Liberian-flagged tanker, Delinox, off the coast of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, the Joint Maritime Information Center reported. Following this, Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for two attacks on ships in the Red Sea, though it was unclear if one of these was the attack reported by the information center. On June 27, a Malta-flagged bulk carrier, Seajoy, was reported hit in a drone boat attack by the rebels.

Simultaneously on Tuesday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern over 13 detained UN staffers and aid workers. "We remain extremely worried about the well-being of 13 UN staff and a number of NGO employees who have been detained for over a month now by the Ansar Allah' de facto authorities in Yemen. We continue to be refused access to them," the office said. Of the 13 employees, six work for the UN's human rights agency.

(With inputs from agencies.)