This is the unbelievable moment a massive explosion erupted from a British ship after it was attacked by Houthi rebel drones in the Red Sea.
The Iran-backed separatist militia, which has also claimed to have launched missiles against Israel in recent days, shared footage of the heinous act on social media of the British oil tanker exploding into a fireball.
Eight ballistic and winged missiles, a drone, and an unmanned surface boat were used in the strike, according to claims made by the Houthis.
The ship, the Cordelia Moon, suffered damage to its port side buoyancy tanks which released a thick cloud of black smoke and flames hundreds of feet into the air.
It’s understood the strike on the Panama-flagged tanker on Tuesday took place around 70 miles from the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah.
It’s reported the captain of a nearby ship reported seeing “splashes” near the Cordelia Moon, according to intelligence from the US Navy.
Drone boats have been increasingly used by the Houthis. The Cordelia Moon had been heading north to the Suez Canal with armed private security guards aboard, the private security firm Ambrey said.
Another attack with a missile targeted a separate ship also heading north to the Suez Canal with armed security on board, Ambrey said.
Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree later claimed the two attacks in a prerecorded message. He named the second vessel, though it did not match against another name circulated by private security officials. The discrepancy could not be immediately reconciled.
Saree said in a prerecorded video earlier Tuesday that the rebels had launched drones targeting Israel — attacks unreported by Israel as it faces incoming fire from Hezbollah. The Houthis have exaggerated claims in the past.
The Red Sea has become a battlefield for shippers since the Houthis began their campaign targeting ships travelling through the waterway, which once saw £760 billion a year of cargo pass through it.
Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started last October. They also sunk two in the campaign that resulted in the death of four sailors.
Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by the Royal Navy and allies in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels.
The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US, or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
The Joint Maritime Information Center assessed the Cordelia Moon had been attacked over “affiliations within the vessel’s operational structure,” without elaborating. The Indian managers of the Cordelia Moon also manage the Andromeda Star, which came under Houthi attack in April.
The last attack on a merchant ship by the Houthis was on September 2.