India-bound ship attacked by Houthis in Red Sea; details here

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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An oil tanker en route from Russia to India was hit by missiles in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthis. On Saturday, Houthis claimed that their missiles hit the Andromeda Star oil tanker in the Red Sea, Reuters reported.

This comes as the Iran-backed Houthis of Yemen continue to attack commercial ships in the area to show their support for the Palestinians fighting Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The US Central Command has confirmed that Houthis launched three anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea from Yemen, which caused minor damage to the Andromeda Star.

British maritime security firm Ambrey said the ship’s master has reported damage to the vessel.

The US Command, in a post on social media site X, informed that a missile had landed in the vicinity of a second vessel — MV Maisha — but it did not receive any damage.

Yahya Sarea, Houthi spokesperson, claimed that the Andromeda Star, which was flagged from Panama, is British-owned. However, shipping data shows that it was recently sold, as per reports.

Currently, its owner is registered in Seychelles. The tanker, which is engaged in Russia-linked trade, was en route from Primorsk in Russia to India’s Vadinar, Ambrey noted.

Since November last year, the Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched multiple drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Due to this, the shippers are forced to re-route cargo to a longer and more expensive journey around southern Africa amid fears that the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict could spread and destabilise the Middle East region.

The latest attack on the Andromeda Star comes after a brief pause in the Houthis’ campaign, which usually targets ships having ties to Israel, the United States and Britain.

An oil tanker in the #RedSea en route from #Russia to #India was hit by missiles launched by #Yemen‘s #Houthis, the Iran-aligned militant group said on Saturday

The Andromeda Star oil tanker’s master reported damages to the ship pic.twitter.com/4PNyCI9K9B

— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) April 27, 2024

Earlier on Friday, Houthis claimed that they downed an American MQ-9 drone in the airspace of Yemen’s Saada province.

The Houthis are said to have been playing an escalating role in the Middle East conflict, attacking ships in the Red Sea and firing drones and missiles at Israel as part of their campaign which is aimed at supporting Palestinians in the Gaza conflict.

In recent months, their role has added to the conflict’s regional risks and threatened sea lanes through which much of the world’s oil is shipped.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow