The Master of a vessel located 40 nautical miles south of Yemen's Mukha reported an explosion in close proximity to the vessel, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Wednesday. UKMTO said that the vessel and all crew are safe. The Houthis have been launching repeated drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait and Gulf of Aden since November, forcing shippers to re-route cargo to longer and more expensive journeys around Southern Africa and stoking fears that the war in Gaza could spread in the region. Source: Qatar News Agency