Dubai, Nov 12 (AP) An attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels saw multiple explosions strike near a commercial vessel travelling through the Red Sea on Tuesday, though no damage was immediately reported by the ship, Western authorities said. The Houthis later claimed they targeted American warships there.

The attack comes as the rebels continue their monthslong assault targeting shipping through a waterway that typically sees $1 trillion in goods pass through it a year over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Israel's ground offensive in Lebanon.

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The Houthis have insisted that the attacks will continue as long as the wars go on, and the assaults already have halved shipping through the region. Meanwhile, a UN panel of experts now allege that the Houthis may be shaking down some shippers for about $180 million a month for safe passage through the area.

A vessel in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, about 130 km (80 miles) southwest of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, reported the attack, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said.

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No one was wounded on board in the blasts, and the ship was continuing on its journey, the UKMTO added.

Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree in a prerecorded statement Tuesday night claimed the rebels attacked two American destroyers in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles and drones. It wasn't immediately clear if the UKMTO report was directly linked to the Houthi claim, but similar incidents of rebel fire coming near other ships have happened before.

The Houthis have targeted more than 90 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October 2023. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign, which also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels as well.

The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

The Houthis have shot down multiple American MQ-9 Reaper drones as well.

The last Houthi maritime attack came Oct 28 and targeted the Liberian-flagged bulk tanker Motaro. Before that, an Oct 10 attack targeted the Liberian-flagged chemical tanker Olympic Spirit.

It's unclear why the Houthis' attacks have dropped, though they have launched multiple missiles toward Israel as well. On Oct 17, the US military unleashed B-2 stealth bombers to target underground bunkers used by the rebels. US airstrikes also have been targeting Houthi positions in recent days as well.

Meanwhile, a report by UN experts from October says “the Houthis allegedly collected illegal fees from a few shipping agencies to allow their ships to sail through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden without being attacked”. It put the money generated a month at around USD 180 million, though it stressed it hadn't been able to corroborate the information provided by sources to the panel.

The Houthis haven't directly responded to the allegation. However, the report did include two threatening emails the Houthis sent to shippers, with one of those vessels later coming under attack by the rebels. (AP)

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