The latest escalation by the Houthis damaged the MV Andromeda Star and shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone.
Yemen's Houthis damaged an oil tanker and shot down another U.S. drone, the MQ-9 Reaper, as they pledge further attacks in opposition to Israel's war on Gaza.
Iran-aligned group military spokesman Yahya Salih said in his latest televised address early Saturday that the British oil ship Andromeda Star was targeted by a naval missile in the Red Sea and received a direct hit.
The US military confirmed that the group fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles at multiple targets in the Red Sea, damaging the MV Andromeda Star. The ship was recently sold to a Seychelles-registered company, Reuters reported.
“The MV Andromeda Star is reporting minor damage but continues to sail,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X, adding that the U.S.-led maritime military coalition deployed to the country It added that there were no reports of injuries or damage. Areas fighting attacks from Yemen.
A Houthi military spokesman said Yemen's air defense forces also shot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper attack drone with a missile in the airspace of Saada province while “carrying out a hostile mission.”
The US military did not comment on the drone, but US broadcaster CBS News confirmed that an MQ-9 worth about $30 million had “crashed” inside Yemen early Friday morning and said an investigation was underway. Ta.
This is the third U.S. attack drone shot down by the Houthis since the start of the war in Gaza, the first in November, followed by another in February. It was done.
The Yemeni group did not comment on further attacks on ships in nearby waterways, but the US military said anti-ship missiles fired by the Houthis also targeted the Antigua-Barbados-flagged Liberian-operated vessel MV MAISHA. There was no damage.
In a surprising turn of events, Arabs now share America's support for the Spring. pic.twitter.com/zzGq7fE3VK
— Hend Amri (@LibyaLiberty) April 26, 2024
UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also confirmed two attacks on vessels believed to be the MV Andromeda Star, about 14 nautical miles (26 km) southwest of Al Muqa (Mokha), Yemen.
The first explosion occurred at “point-blank range” to the ship, and a second attack, believed to be from two missiles, damaged the ship.
Houthi forces reported on Friday that they targeted the “Israeli ship MSC Darwin” in the Gulf of Aden, adding that they launched numerous missiles and drones at targets in the southern Israeli port city of Eilat.
On Thursday, the group launched attacks on the US-flagged and operated Maersk Yorktown and the Israeli-affiliated ship MSC Veracruz, which were defended by US and British warships.
The group's renewed military activity in Yemen comes after weeks of relative calm during which the number of attacks declined.
في اليوم الثالث بعد المائتين مليونية متجددة ملأت حشودُها ميدانَ السبعي ن في العاصمة صنعاء اء واسنادا لغزة في مسيرة”مع غزة العزة تعبئة واستنفار” pic.twitter.com/DgRfdS2SfW
— محمد عبدالسلام (@abdusalamsalah) April 26, 2024
Translation: On the third day of the 200-day war, new crowds filled Al-Sabeen Square in the capital Sanaa, marching “Gaza, with pride and mobilization,” expressing loyalty and support for Gaza.
But in a speech on Friday, the group's leader, Abdelmalik al-Houthi, rejected the idea that the decline in attacks was related to weakening military forces and promised more attacks to come.
In a televised address, he also told scores of protesters in the capital Sanaa and elsewhere that the Houthis were also targeting ships in the Indian Ocean, opening up a “new arena of conflict”.
The Houthis say they will stop attacks on one of the world's busiest sea routes and have called on Israel to end the war in Gaza. The Houthi offensive disrupted global trade and also affected traffic in the Israeli port of Eilat.
People in Yemen's Houthi-controlled areas have held large protests every Friday since the war began, expressing solidarity with the Palestinians and denouncing Israel and its Western allies.
The Houthis initially targeted only Israeli-linked vessels passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, but expanded to include US and British ships after Washington and London attacked Yemen.
Houthi-run media reported that “millions more” took to the streets in governorates across Yemen this Friday.
