A mysterious explosion occurred in the waters southwest of Yemen’s major port city of Aden on Thursday, according to reports from British maritime authorities.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) stated that a ship’s captain reported hearing a powerful bang around 15 nautical miles off Aden’s coast shortly after noon local time. The captain witnessed a burst of smoke rising from the sea following the blast.
Though the cause remains unknown, the incident immediately raised concerns about potential threats to shipping safety in the strategic Gulf of Aden waterway. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have recently ramped up attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea to exert pressure amid the spiraling conflict.
Just a day prior, the Houthis claimed to have conducted three separate naval operations targeting ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean regions. The rebels cited the strikes as acts of solidarity with Palestinians during the recent flare-up of violence with Israel.
Despite the unnerving explosion, the UKMTO affirmed that the crew of the vessel near the blast site was unharmed. Military support was being provided to ensure safe passage through the volatile area.
The unexplained detonation underscores the fraught maritime situation around war-torn Yemen. Maintaining open shipping lanes is a priority for global commerce flowing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait chokepoint into the Red Sea.
