The MV Andromeda Star was damaged and an MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down in the latest escalation by the Houthis.
Yemen's Houthis damaged an oil tanker and shot down another US MQ-9 Reaper drone, while promising more attacks against Israel's war on Gaza.
The Iranian-aligned group's military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said in his latest televised address early Saturday that the “British oil ship Andromeda Star” was targeted in the Red Sea by naval missiles and was directly hit.
The US military confirmed that the group fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea at multiple targets and damaged the MV Andromeda Star. Reuters reported that the ship was recently sold to a company registered in Seychelles.
“The MV Andromeda Star reported minor damage, but continues its voyage,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X, adding that no casualties or damage had been reported by the US-led naval military coalition deployed in the region. . The region to confront attacks coming from Yemen.
The Houthi military spokesman also said that its air defense forces in Yemen also shot down a US Army MQ-9 Reaper attack drone with a missile in the airspace of Saada Governorate “while it was conducting hostile missions.”
The US military did not comment on the drone, but CBS News confirmed that an MQ-9, which costs about $30 million, “crashed” inside Yemen early on Friday and said that an investigation was underway.
This is the third American attack drone that the Houthis have shot down since the beginning of the war on Gaza, as the first drone was shot down in November, followed by another in February.
The Yemeni group made no comments about further attacks on ships in its nearby waterways, but the US military said anti-ship missiles fired by the Houthis also targeted the MV MAISHA, an Antigua and Barbados-flagged ship operated by Liberia. No damages were reported.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also confirmed two attacks on a vessel – which appears to be the MV Andromeda Star – about 14 nautical miles (26 km) southwest of Al Mokha (Al Mokha) in Yemen.
It added that the first explosion occurred “close” to the ship and that the second attack, consisting of what are believed to be two missiles, damaged the ship.
The Houthi army announced the targeting of the “Israeli ship MSC Darwin” in the Gulf of Aden on Friday, adding that it fired a number of missiles and drones at targets in the coastal city of Eilat in southern Israel.
On Thursday, the group launched an attack on the US-flagged ship Maersk Yorktown, which it owns and operates, along with the Israel-linked ship MSC Veracruz, with US and British warships defending.
The reactivated military activity by the Yemeni group comes after weeks of relative calm when the number of attacks decreased.
On the third day after two hundred million renewed crowds filled Al-Sabeen Square in the capital, Sana’a, in loyalty and support for Gaza in artificial intelligence, “With Gaza, pride, survey and mobilization.” pic.twitter.com/DgRfdS2SfW
– Muhammad Abdel Salam (@abdusalamsalah) April 26, 2024
Translation: On the third day after 200 days of war, renewed crowds filled Al-Sabeen Square in the capital, Sanaa, in loyalty and support for Gaza in the “With Gaza, Pride and Mobilization” march.
But in a speech on Friday, the group's leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, rejected the idea that the decline in attacks was linked to weak military capabilities and promised more attacks.
He also told large numbers of protesters in the capital, Sanaa, and elsewhere in a televised speech that a “new theater of confrontation” had opened up as the Houthis were now targeting ships in the Indian Ocean as well.
The Houthis say they will stop attacks on one of the busiest sea routes in the world, demanding that Israel stop its war on Gaza. The Houthi attacks disrupted global trade and affected traffic in the Israeli port of Eilat.
People in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen have been protesting in large numbers every Friday since the start of the war to express solidarity with the Palestinians and condemn Israel and its Western allies.
The Houthis initially targeted only ships linked to Israel passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, but expanded to include American and British ships after Washington and London carried out attacks on Yemen.
Houthi-run media reported that “millions” more took to the streets in provinces across Yemen on Friday as well.
