Reports suggest that the vessel owned by Greece, which was attacked by Houthi rebels in Yemen last week, has capsized and subsequently sunk due to the attack by the Iran-backed group. This incident highlights the ongoing conflict in the region and the impact it is having on maritime security.
Around midday local time on Wednesday, UKMTO confirmed that the vessel had sunk.
On June 12, the MV Tutor, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, was severely damaged in the Red Sea after being rammed by an unmanned surface vessel launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen. The incident resulted in flooding of the vessel, which was manned by 22 Filipino crew members at the time.
On Wednesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations stated on social media that maritime debris and oil were spotted in the last reported location, according to military authorities.
According to reports, the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen sank a ship, resulting in the loss of one crew member’s life. The remaining 21 crew members returned home to the Philippines. This incident marks the second known ship sinking by the Houthis since March.
During the recent attack in the Red Sea, the captain of the M/V Tutor, a 44,000-ton vessel, reported that the ship was not under the control of the crew and was taking on water. The vessel was hit in the stern by a 16-23-foot-long craft, approximately 66 miles southwest of the port of Hudaydah.
There was initially a crew member who was reported missing after the Tutor ship attack. This attack is just one of the numerous recent assaults on ships in the area.
On Friday, CENTCOM posted on X that despite claiming to be acting in support of Palestinians in Gaza, the Houthis are endangering the lives of individuals from other countries who have no involvement in the conflict.
Last week, U.S. forces responded to the Houthi attack on a Greek vessel by launching a series of attacks aimed at destroying Houthi radar sites. These sites were used by the group to target commercial shipping vessels in military strikes. In total, seven radar stations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen were destroyed, along with several of their sea and aerial drones. The U.S. Central Command confirmed these successful attacks.
According to CENT COM, the Houthis’ continuous threat to international commerce is making it more challenging to provide much-needed aid to the people of Yemen and Gaza.
When the M/V Tutor was attacked, the engine room suffered significant damage, resulting in severe flooding. As a result, a majority of the crew had to abandon the ship. Luckily, they were all rescued by U.S. and allied forces.
In a recent military operation, U.S. forces successfully eliminated eight Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial systems in a Houthi controlled area of Yemen. CENTCOM announced this news on Monday, reporting no injuries to American troops during the 24-hour period.
The US, along with partner forces, successfully eliminated a Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle over the Gulf of Aden, situated between Yemen and the African coast near Djibouti and Somalia.
In an official statement released on Tuesday, CENTCOM stated that the identified systems posed an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region.
The primary objective behind such measures was to safeguard the freedom of navigation while ensuring the safety and security of the international waters for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels.
