Yemens Houthis deny involvement in Cameroon-flagged tanker attack

The Houthi group on Saturday denied any involvement in the projectile attack earlier in the day in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen's coast, which led to the explosion and burning of a Cameroon-flagged oil tanke.



The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in a statement on social media platform X that it had received reports of a vessel struck by an unknown projectile about 116 nautical miles east of the Yemeni port city of Aden, which subsequently caught fire.



A source from Yemen's government coast guard identified the vessel as MV FALCON, noting that "the situation is under control" following rapid rescue operations, and that an investigation has been launched into the attack.



The cause of the blast remains unclear, but indications point to an onboard accident..



The Gulf of Aden is a key maritime corridor linking the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.



In recent months, the waterway and the neighboring Red Sea have witnessed repeated attacks on commercial shipping, attributed to the Houthis.



The group says its operations are aimed at pressuring Israel and its allies in solidarity with the Palestinians amidst the Gaza conflict.