An unmanned ship carrying piles of high explosives piloted by Yemen’s Houthi rebel forces crashed into an oil tanker in the Red Sea and caused a huge explosion on Tuesday, shocking new footage reveals.
A shocking clip captured the moment the Panama-flagged Cordelia Moon, which Houthi militants later claimed was British, was engulfed in flames when a massive explosion tore through its port tank, sending thick plumes of smoke rising toward the sky
The devastating attack, quickly claimed by the Iranian-backed Houthis, took place approximately 110 kilometers (70 miles) from the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, which, as in recent days, suffered a series of airstrikes by the force. Israeli air.
Fortunately, the ship reported its crew unharmed, but the captain of a nearby ship told U.S. Navy officials operating in the area that he heard four loud splashes at the time of the attack.
It is suspected that these sounds were the impact of missiles that missed the Moon Cordelia and landed in the sea.
A Houthi spokesman said their assault on the tanker included an unmanned boat carrying high explosives along with an aerial drone and eight missiles.
The Cordelia Moon oil tanker bursts into flames after being hit by a missile in the Red Sea, off Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hodeida, in this screenshot from a video released on October 1, 2024.
A shocking clip captured the moment the Panama-flagged Cordelia Moon was engulfed in flames as a massive explosion ripped through its port tank.
The devastating attack, quickly claimed by the Iranian-backed Houthis, took place approximately 110 kilometers (70 miles) from the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah.
The Panama-flagged oil tanker Cordelia Moon transits the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Türkiye, on August 25, 2024.
A second vessel, the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier heading to the Suez Canal, was also attacked earlier this week.
It suffered considerable damage after being hit by a missile about 177 kilometers (110 miles) northwest of Hodeidah, according to the British security company Ambrey and maritime sources.
These attacks mark the Houthis’ first assault on commercial ships in weeks, adding to fears that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Lebanon could spark a broader regional war.
Just a day earlier, the Houthis had warned of an escalation of military action against Israel after their forces reportedly shot down a US military drone over Yemeni airspace.
It comes as Israel continues its brutal offensive in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza.
Fortunately, the crew is reported to have been unharmed.
Yemeni tribesmen belonging to the Houthi movement take part in a popular parade and rally held to support the Palestinians and against the US and UK airstrikes against Yemen, on February 7, 2024, in Sana’a, Yemen.
New Houthi recruits ride in a vehicle during a parade against the United States and Israel, in Sana’a, Yemen, on February 7, 2024.
Israel’s air force carried out another devastating airstrike near Beirut airport overnight in an attempt to eliminate Hezbollah’s heir apparent after former chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed a week ago.
The Israeli air force launched wave after wave of punishing strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight and into this morning, hitting the Dahiyeh area where Hezbollah’s clandestine headquarters is based.
But a huge cacophony of explosions that shook buildings for miles around suggested that Israel had deployed even more Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), 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 sure candidate to replace the slain Hezbollah leader.
It is unclear whether Saffieddine was present at the scene of the attack.
A photographer runs for cover as smoke rises in the background after an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, October 4, 2024.
Smoke and flames rise over the Dahieh area after the Israeli army carried out airstrikes in the south of the capital Beirut, Lebanon, on October 3, 2024.
Smoke rises over Beirut’s southern suburbs and surrounding areas, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Sin El Fil, Lebanon, on October 4, 2024.
Residents run for shelter after an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, October 4, 2024.
The intense shelling came after the IDF issued 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 parties accuse the other of violating.
Israel also carried out overnight one of its deadliest attacks in the West Bank in decades, with at least 18 people said to have been killed in the Tulkarm refugee camp, Palestinian health authorities say.
The IDF reported that its strike killed Hamas leader Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, whom it accused of participating in numerous attacks.