Explosion Reported Near US-Owned Cargo Ship Off Yemen

An explosion in the vicinity of a Barbados-flagged, U.S.-owned cargo ship off the port of Aden in southern Yemen was reported by a nearby vessel, British security firm Ambrey said on Wednesday.

The ship, located approximately 57 nautical miles southwest of Aden, was hailed by an entity declaring itself to be the "Yemeni Navy" and ordered to alter course, Ambrey said.

Vessels in the vicinity reported a loud bang and a large plume of smoke, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said.

Houthi militants in Yemen have launched drone and missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait and Gulf of Aden since November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians to oppose Israel's military offensive in Gaza.

 

(Reuters - Reporting by Jana Choukeir; editing by Michael Georgy, Jason Neely and Kevin Liffey)