Reports of Explosions Near Commercial Ships in the Red Sea

The British security company Ambrey reported that a commercial ship in the Red Sea reported an explosion nearby on Thursday. Ambrey did not disclose the name of the ship or its country of ownership, only stating that it was located 19 nautical miles west of the Yemeni port city of Mokha. Meanwhile, the British Maritime Trade Operations organization reported separately that it was aware of two explosions near a ship located 27 nautical miles south of Mokha. It is unclear whether the incidents mentioned by Ambrey and the Maritime Trade Operations organization are the same or different events. The ship referenced by Ambrey aligns with reports from Houthi rebels about their attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea on Thursday. According to Ambrey, this ship was en route from Europe to the United Arab Emirates and at the moment of the explosion, its automatic identification system was not transmitting any signals. Ambrey did not provide further details about the incident. Since November of last year, in response to the Gaza war, the Houthis have carried out numerous drone and missile attacks on international shipping in key routes of the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden. This has forced shipping companies to alter their routes, opting for much longer and costlier paths around Africa to avoid Houthi attacks. The Houthis, who control the most populous areas of Yemen, claim these attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. Yahya Saree, a spokesman for the Houthis, stated the day before that the group targeted two ships, 'Roza' and 'Vantage Dream,' in the Red Sea with several missiles and drones. He also mentioned that the American ship 'Maersk Seltar' was targeted in the Arabian Sea by Houthi militants. These attacks occurred shortly after Greece announced that increased cooperation among naval forces of various countries in the Red Sea had led to a reduction in Houthi attacks on international shipping in the past week. Greece is the base for the European fleet deployed on a special maritime mission called 'Aspidiz' to counter Houthi attacks. The Houthis have sunk one ship named 'Rubimara' and seized another. Their attacks have also resulted in the deaths of three sailors.