In the latest suspected Houthi rebel attack in Yemen, a missile hit the Red Sea and caused no damage

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A missile hit the waters of the Red Sea Thursday but caused no damage to a passing commercial ship in the attack believed to have been carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officials said.

The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack, but it may take hours or even days for them to admit their attacks.

The attack took place in the southern Red Sea near the important Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said.

The private security company Ambrey also reported the attack.

The Houthis have launched attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in recent months and are demanding that Israel end the war in Gaza, which has killed over 35,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage.

According to the United States Maritime Administration, the Houthis have carried out more than 50 attacks on ships since November, hijacking one vessel and sinking another.

The threat has led to a reduction in shipping traffic across the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In recent weeks, the frequency of Houthi attacks has decreased, although the rebels have claimed to have shot down US surveillance drones.

The Associated Press