Probable Yemeni Houthi attack targets ship in Gulf of Aden

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Explosions occurred near a merchant ship transiting the Gulf of Aden, authorities said Saturday, in what is believed to be the latest attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels seeking to invade the shipping lane.

The apparent attack by the Houthis took place after the sinking of the ship Tutor this weekwhich represents a new escalation by the Iran-backed Houthis in their campaign of attacks on ships in the vital maritime corridor across the War between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, US authorities reportedly ordered the USS Dwight D. EisenhowerThe aircraft carrier that led the American response to the Houthi attacks is to return home.

The captain of the attacked ship saw “explosions near the ship” late Friday, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said.

“The crew is safe and the ship is proceeding to its next port of call,” the UKMTO said, without elaborating on whether the ship had sustained any damage.

The Houthis, who have held Yemen’s capital Sanaa since 2014, did not immediately admit to the attack. However, it may take hours or even days for the rebels to admit their attacks.

On Friday, the Houthis released footage from one of their drone boats, the Tufan (English for “Flood”), which they said was targeting the Tutor.

The The Houthis have carried out more than 60 attacks They attacked specific vessels and fired more missiles and drones in a campaign that killed four sailors. Since November, they have captured one ship and sunk two. Since January, a US-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis. a series of strikes on 30 May According to the rebels, at least 16 people were killed and 42 others injured.

March, The Belize-flagged Rubymar, carrying fertilizers, was the first to sink in the Red Sea after taking on water for days following a rebel attack.

The Houthis claim their attacks are against ships linked to Israel, the US or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the war between Israel and Hamas.

In the meantime, the intelligence service of the US Naval Institute reported, citing an anonymous official, that the Eisenhower would return to Norfolk, Virginia, after a mission lasting over eight months in the fight, which the Navy says the most intense since the Second World WarThe report said that an aircraft carrier operating in the Pacific would take the place of the Eisenhower.

The next known American aircraft carrier in Asia is the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The Roosevelt anchored in Busan, South Korea, on Saturday, amid ongoing tensions between Seoul and North Korea.