Jerusalem: An explosion struck near a ship on Wednesday travelling through a crucial strait near Yemen, though no damage or injuries were reported, the British military said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion immediately fell on Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, an organisation monitoring Mideast waterways overseen by the British military, reported the blast happened near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off Yemen. The explosion happened some 100 metres from the vessel but caused no damage and its crew is safe, the British said.

The Houthis, who have been launching attacks on ships since November over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, did not immediately acknowledge the incident. The US and the UK have launched rounds of airstrikes targeting suspected missile storage and launch sites used by the Houthis over the attacks. 

(With inputs from agency)

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