A Marshall Islands-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker reported two explosions near the ship as it traveled off the coast of Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, marking the third attack on merchant vessels in the past 48 hours, according to British security firm Ambrey on Friday.
Ambrey noted that the crew of the ship involved in the latest incident was previously US-owned. Additionally, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKTMO) reported that the Master of another merchant vessel in a similar area observed an explosion off the vessel's starboard beam. However, Reuters could not immediately confirm whether the same ship was the subject of both reports.
The attacks on international commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by Iran-aligned Houthi militants in Yemen have been ongoing since mid-November. The militants claim to be acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's actions in Gaza. These attacks have caused disruptions to global shipping routes, leading to longer and more expensive journeys around the southern tip of Africa.
Fortunately, there were no reports of damage or injuries to the ships involved in the earlier attacks. In response to these incidents, the United States and Britain have conducted strikes against Houthi targets.
Late on Thursday, the US military announced that the Houthis had fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles toward the Gulf of Aden and two missiles toward the Red Sea from Yemen. However, no injuries or damage were reported to the US or coalition ships.
Early on Friday, the US military's Central Command disclosed that it had destroyed nine anti-ship missiles and two drones in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in response to the attacks.
