An explosion strikes near ship traveling in strait off of Yemen. No damages reported, officials say

JERUSALEM (AP) — An explosion struck near a ship traveling through a crucial strait near Yemen, though no damage or injuries were reported. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack Wednesday, though suspicion immediately fell on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, an organization monitoring Mideast waterways overseen by the British military, reported the blast happened near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off Yemen. The explosion happened some 100 meters (325 feet) from the vesssel, but caused no damage and its crew is safe. The Houthis, who have been launching attacks on ships since November over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, did not immediately acknowledge the incident.