Reported explosion near merchant vessel off coast of Yemen

The UKMTO issued a warning after an explosion near a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden. The incident took place nearly 85 nautical miles east of Aden, Yemen. The vessel and crew are safe, but the cause of the explosion is under investigation.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued a warning on Sunday after an explosion was reported near a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden, as quoted by Xinhua news agency report. The incident occurred nearly 85 nautical miles east of Aden, Yemen. The master of the unidentified merchant ship reported the explosion.

While no damage to the vessel was reported, and all crew members were declared safe, the UKMTO alerted that the incident was under investigation by relevant authorities. The merchant vessel is currently proceeding to its next port of call, as per the UKMTO statement.

The Gulf of Aden is a vital shipping route that connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, but the waters off Yemen have been considered high-risk due to the ongoing conflict between the Houthi group, US, and British forces in the region. The nature of the incident and its potential causes have not been disclosed yet.

The ongoing conflict in the region has led to increased tensions and attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by the Houthis since November last year. The US and Britain have responded with air and missile strikes in Yemen, but the situation has seen further escalation. The naval confrontation poses a threat to the major global shipping chokepoint in the Bab el-Mandeb strait.