DUBAI (Reuters) – Explosions were reported in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday after unmanned aircraft and missiles were seen in two separate incidents, British maritime authorities said.
Two unmanned aircraft were seen before two explosions occurred 5 nautical miles from a ship 50 nautical miles west of Hodeidah on Yemen’s west coast, the UK’s Commercial Operations Authority said shipping in a notice.
In an apparently separate incident, explosions were heard and missiles were seen 4 nautical miles from a ship 60 nautical miles from Hodeidah, authorities said.
It was not immediately clear whether the incidents involved the same vessel, which authorities did not identify. Details of the cargo or indication of the destination or destination of the vessel(s) have also not been disclosed.
In either case, the ship and crew would have been safe.
British authorities did not say where the reported drones or missiles came from and there was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The reported incidents come a week after the United States announced a multinational maritime security initiative in the Red Sea in response to attacks on ships by Yemen’s Houthis.
The Iran-backed Houthi militia has been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea since October, a campaign the group says is in solidarity with Palestinians besieged by Israel in Gaza.
The group said it was targeting ships linked to Israel and those bound for Israel, warning shipping companies against doing business with Israeli ports. Several shipping companies suspended operations on the Red Sea waterway in response to the attacks, preferring to take a longer journey around Africa.
The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks until Israel ends the conflict in Gaza and warned it would attack US warships if the militia itself was targeted.
The Houthis control large swathes of territory in Yemen after years of war and have since fired drones and missiles into southern Israel.
