SANAA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Sunday evening that several explosions occurred near a vessel in the Red Sea off Yemen's western port city of Mocha.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, the UKMTO said it had received a report of an incident 60 nautical miles south of Mocha.
A tanker had observed several explosions in close proximity to the vessel. All crew members were reported safe, with no environmental impact reported, according to the statement.
The UKMTO said authorities were investigating the incident and advised vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.
The incident was the first of its kind since the Houthi group took control of Mocha, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and areas along Yemen's western coast in September.
On July 20, the Houthis announced a maritime ban targeting Saudi Arabia following tensions with the Yemeni government and reciprocal attacks on Sanaa airport and Saudi Arabia's Abha airport, despite a UN-brokered truce reached in 2022. ■
