‘Explosion’ hits key shipping route and drones spotted off coast of Yemen weeks after attacks by Iran-backed militia

A potential explosion is believed to have struck a crucial shipping route off the coast of Yemen, the British Military has claimed.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also informed that drone activity has been reported in the area.

Getty

The area has been known as the backdrop to many attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants[/caption]

AFP

A picture taken during an organised tour by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on November 22 shows the Galaxy Leader cargo ship, seized by the militia group two days earlier[/caption]

Shippers were warned by the UKMTO that the apparent blast took place in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that separates East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula, Sky News reports.

The Bab el-Mandeb links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

The region has been stage to a series of attacks in recent weeks attributed to Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

The militia group have also launched missiles and drones toward Israel over its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the latest incident.  

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