Houthi missile hits bulker in the Red Sea

As attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea continue Houthi rebels claimed a hit on the bulker Cyclades describing the attack as “accurate”. According to US Central Command three missiles and three UAVs were fired at the vessel.

UK Maritime & Trade Operations reported a Company Security Officer as saying a vessel had sustained damage and that the vessel and its crew were safe and continuing to the next port of call.

Marine Traffic data showed the Malta-flagged Cyclades proceeding northwards through the Red Sea headed towards Suez. According to Equasis the 60,384 bulker is part of the fleet of Eastern Mediterranean Maritime.

Houthi Armed Forces spokesperson Yahya Sare’e said the bulker was targeted for having called an Israeli port earlier in the month.

It is the second successful strike by the Houthi in recent days on commercial shipping with minor damaged reported to the Panama-flagged tanker Andromeda Star on 26 April.

The Houthi also targeted another MSC operated containership MSC Orion. The registered owner of the Portuguese-flagged MSC Orion is Zodiac Maritime owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer.

A number of MSC vessels have come under fire in the region in recent weeks including the MSC Sky II in March where a missile struck the vessel’s accommodation block.

Related:Houthi missile damages tanker in the Red Sea

As well as targeting the bulker Cyclades and the MSC Orion on 29 April the Houthi also fired on two US warships describing operations as “achieving goals successfully”.

US Centcom said its forces, "successfully engaged and destroyed one Houthi launched airborne unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on a flight path towards USS Philippine Sea and USS Laboon in the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damages reported by US, coalition, or merchant vessels."