Houthi militias claimed responsibility for a missile attack on an oil tanker they said was British, sailing off the western coast of Yemen, resulting in its damage.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the Houthis fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles at 14:49 GMT from areas they control in Yemen towards the Red Sea, where two commercial ships were located.
According to CENTCOM via Ex platform, the ship “Andromeda Star” reported minor damage but continued its journey, as reported by AFP.
The statement added that the ship, owned by Britain and flying the Panamanian flag, is operated by Seychelles.
Meanwhile, Houthi military spokesperson Colonel Yahya Saree stated, “Naval forces of the Yemeni armed forces targeted a British oil ship, Andromeda Star, in the Red Sea with several appropriate naval missiles, directly hitting the ship.”
Hours earlier, the UK Maritime Security Agency “UKMTO” reported that a ship had been damaged in two consecutive attacks 14 nautical miles southwest of Mukalla in Yemen.
The agency, run by the Royal British Forces, stated, “During the first attack, an explosion occurred close to the ship, felt by the crew. Subsequently, the second attack on the ship, believed to be two rockets, caused damage to the vessel,” AFP reported.
The UKMTO did not provide any information about the crew’s safety.
The closest ship to the incident, observed during the attack with three missiles, was a tanker flying the Panamanian flag, previously owned by a British party but changed ownership in November 2023, according to Ambrey, which added that at the time of writing this report, the shipowner was registered in Seychelles and engaged in trade associated with Russia.
According to Ambrey, the ship was heading from Primorsk in Russia to Vadinar in India.
Since November 19, the Houthis have carried out dozens of missile and drone attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, which they consider related to Israel or heading to its ports, claiming to support Palestinians in Gaza amid the ongoing war since October 7.
On Thursday, the Houthis targeted the “MV MSC Darwin 6” ship in the Gulf of Aden, considering it Israeli.
The recent wave of attacks comes after a decline in Houthi operations recently.
Washington leads an international maritime coalition aimed at “protecting” maritime navigation in this strategic region, through which 12% of global trade passes.
In an attempt to deter them, US and British forces occasionally strike Houthi sites in Yemen since January 12.
The US military alone occasionally targets missiles and drones it says are ready to launch, the latest of which was Thursday morning when it destroyed two drones and a ship.
In response to Western strikes, the Houthis began targeting US and British ships, considering the interests of both countries as “legitimate targets.”
The Houthis confirmed in their statement on Friday that they had shot down an American MQ9 drone on Thursday.
