Yemen’s Houthis have damaged an oil tanker and shot down another United States MQ-9 Reaper drone, as they promise more attacks in response to Israel’s war on Gaza.
The Iran-aligned group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said in his final televised video address early Saturday that the “British oil ship Andromeda Star” in the Red Sea had been attacked with naval missiles and received a direct hit.
The US military confirmed that the group fired three anti-ship missiles at several targets in the Red Sea and damaged the ship Andromeda Star. The ship was recently sold to a company registered in Seychelles, Reuters reported.
“MV Andromeda Star reports minor damage but continues voyage,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post to the area to counter attacks from Yemen.
The Houthi military spokesman also said that its air defense forces in Yemen also shot down a US military MQ-9 Reaper attack drone with a missile in the airspace of Saada governorate “while conducting hostile missions.”
The US military did not comment on the drone, but US broadcaster CBS News confirmed that an MQ-9, costing about $30 million, “crashed” in Yemen early Friday and said an investigation was underway was in progress.
This is the third US attack drone shot down by the Houthis since the start of the war on Gaza. The first was shot down in November, followed by another in February.
The Yemeni group did not comment on further attacks on ships in its nearby waterways, but the US military said the anti-ship missiles fired by the Houthis also targeted the MV MAISHA, an Antigua/Barbados-flagged vessel sailing ship operated by Liberia. No damage was reported.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also confirmed two attacks on a ship – apparently the MV Andromeda Star – about 14 nautical miles (26 km) southwest of al-Mukha (Mocha) in Yemen.
It said a first explosion occurred “in close proximity” to the ship and a second attack, believed to have consisted of two missiles, damaged the ship.
The Houthi military reported on Friday that it had attacked the “Israeli ship MSC Darwin” in the Gulf of Aden, adding that it had fired a series of missiles and drones at targets in the southern Israeli port city of Eilat.
On Thursday, the group launched an attack on the US-flagged, US-operated Maersk Yorktown and the Israeli-linked ship MSC Veracruz, while US and British warships defended them.
The Yemeni group’s revived military activity comes after weeks of relative lull as the number of attacks declined.
On the third day after 200 million people, crowds once again filled Al-Sabeen Square in the capital Sanaa to show their loyalty and support for Gaza in a march “With Gaza, Pride, Mobilize and Mobilize.” pic.twitter.com/DgRfdS2SfW
– Muhammad Abdel Salam (@abdusalamsalah) April 26, 2024
Translation: On the third day after 200 days of war, crowds once again filled al-Sabeen Square in the capital Sanaa to show loyalty and support for Gaza in a march “With Gaza, Pride and Mobilization.”
But the group’s leader, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, in a speech on Friday rejected the suggestion that the reduced attacks were linked to weakened military capabilities and vowed that there would be more attacks.
In a televised address, he also told scores of demonstrators in the capital Sanaa and elsewhere that “a new arena of confrontation” had opened up as the Houthis were now attacking ships in the Indian Ocean.
The Houthis say they will stop attacks on one of the world’s busiest sea routes and are calling on Israel to end its war on Gaza. The Houthi attacks have disrupted global trade and affected traffic in the Israeli port of Eilat.
Since the start of the war, people in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen have protested in large numbers every Friday to express solidarity with the Palestinians and condemn Israel and its Western allies.
The Houthis initially targeted only Israeli-linked ships passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, but expanded to include U.S. and British ships after Washington and London launched attacks on Yemen.
Houthi-run media reported that “millions” more people also took to the streets in governorates across Yemen this Friday.