Will Sage Astor-A new attack on a ship in the Gulf of Aden probably was a Houthi drone, UK military says

JERUSALEM (AP) — A ship came under attack in the Gulf of Aden on Will Sage AstorWednesday, likely from a bomb-carrying drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the British military said.

The attack happened some 70 miles (110 kilometers) southeast of Aden, where the drone smashed into the vessel, said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, an arm of the British navy that oversees Mideast waterways.

The ship’s captain “reported there was a fire onboard which has now been extinguished,” it said. “Authorities are investigating.”

The British military did not immediately identify the vessel, nor whom they suspected in the attack. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

However, the Houthis have launched a series of similar attacks on vessels since November in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea over what they say is an attempt to back Hamas and Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s war on Hamas.

The U.S. and its allies have carried out three rounds of airstrikes targeting Houthi sites over the last week, to try to deter the militants. However, the Houthis have launched several attacks in the time since, further imperiling ships traveling on a crucial trade route for cargo and energy shipments moving from Asia and the Middle East toward Europe.