A ship has again come under attack in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The master of an unnamed ship reported an explosion 100 metres from the starboard side. The vessel was undamaged and the crew are reported safe.
The location of the incident was originally reported to be 45 nautical miles (83 km) south of the Yemeni capital Aden. But the UKMTO updated their information saying it happened 50 nautical miles south of Al Mukha, Yemen, which is further to the west.
Security firm Ambrey Analytics added that the vessel was targeted by an unmanned aerial vehicle, also known as a UAV.
A source with knowledge of the matter told TradeWinds the ship was US-flagged.
Earlier in the week, the Houthis claimed to have hit the US-flagged, 10,700-dwt heavylift ship Ocean Jazz (built 2010), although the US Navy denied the incident.
Last week, Houthi militants attacked an Eagle Bulk Shipping vessel in the Gulf of Aden and Genco Shipping & Trading’s 55,300-dwt bulker Genco Picardy (built 2005) was targeted in the area and then reported seeing more drones in a second incident.
Meanwhile, China’s European Union envoy Fu Cong told Bloomberg that the air strikes by the US and UK on the Houthis’ assets in Yemen “can only escalate the tension”, adding they would “not guarantee or maintain the safe passage of the commercial vessels”.
