Houthi rebels' drone boat targets 'British' oil tanker in Red Sea
by David Averre · Mail OnlineA drone boat carrying stacks of high explosives piloted by Yemen's Houthi rebel forces slammed into an oil tanker in the Red Sea and triggered a huge explosion on Tuesday, shocking new footage has revealed.
A shocking clip captured the moment the Panama-flagged Cordelia Moon - which Houthi militants later claimed was British - was engulfed in flames as a massive blast ripped through its port-side tank, sending thick plumes of smoke billowing into the sky.
The devastating attack, swiftly claimed by the Iran-backed Houthis, unfolded roughly 110 kilometres (70 miles) off the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, which as in recent days sustained a series of airstrikes by Israel's air force.
Fortunately, the ship reported its crew were unharmed - but the captain of a nearby vessel told US Navy officials operating in the area that he heard four loud splashes at the time of the attack.
It is suspected these sounds were the impact of missiles missing the Cordelia Moon and landing in the sea.
A Houthi spokesperson said their assault on the tanker comprised the drone boat carrying high explosives along with one aerial drone and eight missiles.
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A second vessel, the Liberia-flagged bulker en route to the Suez Canal, also came under fire earlier this week.
It sustained considerable damage after being hit by a missile around 177 kilometres (110 miles) northwest of Hodeidah, according to British security firm Ambrey and maritime sources.
These strikes mark the Houthis' first assault on commercial vessels in weeks, adding to fears that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Lebanon could ignite a broader regional war.
Just a day earlier, the Houthis had warned of escalating military action against Israel after its forces reportedly downed an American military drone over Yemeni airspace.
It comes as Israel continues its brutal offensive in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza.
Israel's air force conducted another devastating airstrike near Beirut airport overnight in an attempt to wipe out Hezbollah's heir apparent after former chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed one week ago.
The Israeli air force launched wave upon wave of punishing strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs overnight into this morning, battering the Dahiyeh area where Hezbollah's underground headquarters are based.
But one enormous cacophony of explosions that shook buildings for miles around suggested Israel had deployed yet more Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) - bombs designed to penetrate deep into underground structures.
Unconfirmed Israeli media reports said the IAF had targeted Hashem Safieddine, another hardline cleric and cousin of Nasrallah who many analysts believed was a shoo-in to replace the slain Hezbollah leader.
It is unclear whether Saffieddine was present at the site of the attack.
The intense bombardment came after the IDF issued yet another evacuation order for communities across southern Lebanon.
Lebanese citizens were told to leave Nabatieh, a provincial capital, and other communities north of the Litani River, which formed the northern edge of the border zone established by the UN Security Council after the 2006 war in a resolution that both sides accuse the other of violating.
Israel also conducted one of its most deadly strikes in the West Bank in decades overnight, with at least 18 people said to have been killed at the Tulkarm refugee camp, Palestinian health authorities claim.
The IDF reported its strike killed Hamas leader Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, who it accused of participating in numerous attacks.