Ship comes under attack in Bab el-Mandeb Strait off Red Sea

A ship traveling through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the Red Sea came under attack Monday in an assault likely carried out by Iran-backed Houthis, authorities said.

The vessel passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Peninsula from East Africa, reported the attack, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.

The ship's captain reported two explosions near the ship, though "the vessel and all crew are reported as safe," the UKMTO added.

The private security firm Ambrey also described the attack as involving "two close proximity explosions." It said the vessel wasn't transmitting its position at the time, and it had a private armed security force on board, which many ships have chosen to do amid the Houthi attacks.

The last Houthi attack came Oct. 10, targeting the Liberian-flagged chemical tanker Olympic Spirit.