In the most recent Houthi escalation, the MQ-9 Reaper drone is shot down and the MV Andromeda Star sustains damage.
Yahya Saree, the military spokesman for the Houthis, took credit for using naval missiles to target the “British oil ship Andromeda Star” in the Red Sea.
The Houthi movement, also referred to as Ansar Allah, is a political and military Shia Islamist organization that originated in Yemen during the 1990s. It is primarily composed of Zaidi Shias, with the Houthi tribe providing a substantial portion of the leadership for which they are named.
Amidst growing tensions over Israel’s offensive in Gaza, rumors of an oil tanker being destroyed and a US drone being shot down indicate that they have struck again.
Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Houthis, asserted in his most recent televised speech that the group was responsible for using naval missiles to target the “British oil ship Andromeda Star” in the Red Sea. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reports that the ship incurred minor damage, but it is still making its way without any problems.
Among the maritime military coalition stationed in the region to fend off such attacks, no injuries were recorded.
Additionally, Saree declared that a US military MQ-9 Reaper drone had been shot down while flying a hostile mission over the Saada governorate of Yemen. The US military has not yet responded to the event.
This is the third US drone that the Houthi rebels have shot down since the Gaza conflict began; the other two were in November and February. The US Navy said that anti-ship missiles were fired at the MV MAISH, a ship flying the Antigua/Barbados flag. Despite this, the Houthis have not commented on any other attacks against vessels in the neighboring waters.
The MV Andromeda Star was most likely the target of two strikes that the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) acknowledged occurred in the vicinity of al-Mukha (Mocha) in Yemen. The initial explosion happened near the ship, and then there was another strike with two missiles that caused damage.
The Houthi military has been active recently; they claim to have launched missiles and drones at targets near Israel’s southern port city of Eilat, as well as to have targeted the “Israeli ship MSC Darwin” in the Gulf of Aden. They had previously targeted the Israeli-affiliated MSC Veracruz and the US-flagged Maersk Yorktown, triggering defense reactions from US and UK warships.
The leader of the group, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, denied any notion of weakened military power, claiming that further strikes are about to occur. Speaking to protesters in Sanaa and elsewhere, he announced the opening of a new front that included ships in the Indian Ocean.
If Israel stops its offensive in Gaza, the Houthis are willing to refrain from attacking one of the busiest sea routes in the world. These attacks have affected traffic at Israel’s Eilat port in addition to interfering with international trade.
Weekly large-scale rallies against Israel and its allies and in support of the Palestinians have been a feature of the conflict in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. After Washington and London launched military operations in Yemen, the Houthis expanded their objectives to include US and UK warships, having previously concentrated on Israeli-affiliated ships in the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
Millions more people are reportedly participating in protests around Yemen, according to Houthi-run media, underscoring the broad support for their cause.
