BBC :
A crude oil tanker has been damaged in a missile attack off the coast of Yemen – the latest strike to be carried out by the Houthis.
The incident happened roughly 15 nautical miles south-west of the Yemeni city of Mocha.
British maritime security agency UKMTO reported that the Panama-flagged ship was struck twice and suffered damage.
No injuries or deaths have been reported and the incident is being investigated.
According to the UKMTO, the first missile attack caused an explosion near to the ship and was felt by those aboard. The second – thought to involve two missiles – made contact.
Global risk management firm Ambrey said that three missiles had been sighted.
It added that ballistic missiles had reportedly been fired from Yemen’s south-western Taiz governate.
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attack. The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said in a televised speech on Saturday that a “British” ship called the Andromeda Star had been targeted, resulting in a “direct hit”.
The latest incidents follow a lull in attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthis, who have launched dozens of missile and drone strikes targeting shipping since November.
The Huthis have said they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
Despite the drop in attacks in recent weeks, the Huthis said late Wednesday that they “are continuing to take further military actions against all hostile targets in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean”.
Earlier Friday, US Central Command said that coalition forces had destroyed two drones in Huthi-controlled parts of Yemen after rebels launched a ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden.
The missile attack launched on Thursday targeted, but did not hit, the Liberia-flagged cargo ship MSC DARWIN VI, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center.
The Huthis claimed the strike, alleging the ship was Israeli-owned.
The Huthis, who control much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, are part of an “axis of resistance” made up of Iran allies and proxies targeting Israel over its war against Hamas.
The Huthi attacks have drawn reprisal strikes from the United States and Britain since January, and seen Western naval forces deployed to counter attacks on ships plying the busy commercial routes.
