Sanaa [Yemen], April 28: Yemen's Houthis have damaged an oil tanker and downed another MQ-9 Reaper drone of the United States as they promise more attacks in opposition to Israel's war on Gaza.
The Iran-aligned group's military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said in his latest televised video address early on Saturday that "British oil ship Andromeda Star" was targeted in the Red Sea with naval missiles and was directly hit.
The US military confirmed that the group fired three antiship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea at multiple targets and damaged MV Andromeda Star. The vessel was recently sold to a company registered in the Seychelles, Reuters reported.
"MV Andromeda Star reports minor damage, but is continuing its voyage," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X, adding there were no injuries or damage reported by the maritime military coalition led by the US that is deployed in the area to counter attacks from Yemen
The Houthi military spokesman also said its air defence forces in Yemen also shot down an MQ-9 Reaper attack drone of the US military with a missile in the airspace of the Saada governorate "while it was carrying out hostile missions"
The US military did not comment on the drone, but US broadcaster CBS News confirmed that an MQ-9, which costs about $30mn, "crashed" inside Yemen early on Friday and said an investigation is under way.
This is the third US attack drone shot down by the Houthis since the start of the war on Gaza, with the first brought down in November, followed by another in February.
Source: Qatar Tribune