Yemen's Houthis claim missile strike on Andromeda Star oil tanker in Red Sea

Yemen's Houthis said on Saturday (Apr 27) their missiles hit the Andromeda Star oil tanker in the Red Sea, as they continue attacking commercial ships in the area in a show of support for Palestinians fighting Israel in the Gaza war.

The US Central Command has confirmed that Iran-backed Houthis fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles from Yemen into the Red Sea, causing minor damage to the Andromeda Star. 

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British maritime security firm Ambrey noted that the ship's master reported damage to the vessel.
A missile landed in the vicinity of a second vessel, the MV Maisha, but it was not damaged, US Central Command said on social media site X.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea said the Panama-flagged Andromeda Star was British owned, but shipping data shows it was recently sold, according to LSEG data and Ambrey.

The current owner of the tanker is registered in Seychelles. The vessel is involved in Russia-related trade, and was sailing from Primorsk, Russia, to Vadinar, India, according to Ambrey. 

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Since November, Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched multiple drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden. These attacks have forced shippers to reroute cargo along longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa, raising concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict might escalate and further destabilise the Middle East.

The attack on the Andromeda Star comes after a brief pause in the Houthis' campaign that targets ships with ties to Israel, the United States and Britain.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier sailed out of the Red Sea via the Suez Canal on Friday after assisting a U.S.-led coalition to protect commercial shipping.

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The Houthis on Friday said they downed an American MQ-9 drone in airspace of Yemen's Saada province.

(With inputs from agencies)