The Houthis have released footage showing the explosive drone attack against the Malta-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier Cyclades in the Red Sea on April 29.
The Attack
Footage released by the Houthis appears to show a Shihab-style explosive drone being launched from a ground stand.
????? ???? ??????? ????? (CYCLADES) ?????? ????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ?? ????? ?????? pic.twitter.com/BNC4jPj1SM
— ??????? ?????? ?????? (@MMY1444) April 30, 2024
The footage then cuts to a camera feed from the drone, which approaches the stern of the Cyclades and appears to impact the port-aft side of the bridge by the funnel.
No injuries or serious damage was reported as the vessel continued on with its voyage towards the Suez Canal.
According to a statement by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), Houthi forces launched a total of three anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) and three UAVs towards the Cyclades, but it appears that there was only one impact from the drone shown in the footage.
Houthi Statement
In a statement, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sare’e explained that the Cyclades was targeted because it made a port of call at Israeli earlier this month.
“The targeting of the ship came after it violated the decision of navigation ban of ships heading to the ports of occupied Palestine, by heading to the port of Umm al-Rashrash on April 21st, using misleading and deception by claiming that it was heading to another port.”
???? ?????? ??????? ??????? ???? ????? ??????? ??????? ????????? ?????? ??????? ????? (CYCLADES) ?? ????? ?????? ??????? ( MSC ORION ) ?? ??????? ?????? ????????? ?????? ???????? ?????? 29-4-2024pic.twitter.com/39KltSX4oy
— ?????? ???? ???? (@army21ye) April 29, 2024
“However, it was under monitoring and follow-up by our Armed Forces, and warnings were sent to it not to enter the unallowed ports in occupied Palestine, an insisted to violate the ban to became on the list of targeted ships prohibited from sailing in the area of operations of the Yemeni armed forces,” Sare’e added.
The Houthis have maintained that attacks against commercial vessels linked to Israel, whether it be by ownership or port of call, will be targeted until Israeli military operations in Gaza stop.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah’s help and then with the support and backing of our great Yemeni people and all free people of our nation, will continue to carry out their military operations in support of the oppressed Palestinian people and in defense of beloved Yemen. These operations will not stop unless the siege is lifted and the aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is stopped.”
Other Attacks on April 29
The Houthis also carried out an attack against the Portuguese-flagged container vessel MSC Orion, which is managed by Zodiac Maritime, a UK-based shipping company with ties to the billionaire Israeli Ofer family. Several vessels managed by Zodiac Maritime have been targeted in the past.
Likewise, CENTCOM reported that 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 U.S., coalition, or merchant vessels.”
