An unmanned Greek ship drifts in the Red Sea after being attacked by the Houthis

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) gave this information on Friday The bulk carrier ‘M/V Tutor’, Greek-owned but Liberian-flagged, It has been abandoned there after its crew was evacuated after it came under attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea a day earlier. “The ship’s crew has been removed by the military authorities. The ship has been abandoned and is wandering in the surrounding area without electricity,” the UKMTO explained in an update on the incident published as usual on its profile on the social network.

For his part, US Armed Forces Central Command (CENTCOM) It was later confirmed that “Iran-backed Houthi rebels” had attacked the cargo ship ‘Tutor’ with an “unmanned surface vessel (USV)”, causing “severe flooding and damage to the engine room.”

“The The crew abandoned ship and were rescued by ‘USS Philippine Sea’ (CG 58). and related forces. “A civilian sailor is still missing after the attack,” the military said in a statement published on social networks.

In the same note, the US Armed Forces reported that “Yesterday, The Houthis (…) attacked the Polish ship ‘Verbena’, owned by Ukraine and flying the Palau flag, Two separate missile attacks caused fires on board,” however “the crew extinguished the fires and resumed their transit to the Gulf of Aden.”

“This persistent rogue and reckless behavior by the Houthis (…) threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of sailors in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,” the US military lamented. (…) In response to persistent “attacks and threats” on third country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in the Loop, partners called on the Houthis to hold them accountable and degrade their military capabilities.

The ‘Tutor’ was damaged after the Houthis attacked it on Thursday, causing severe flooding inside and damaging the engine room. The ship’s captain said the ship was taking on water and the crew was evacuated before the Yemeni rebels attacked it a second time.

Houthi rebels, backed by Iran and controlling the most populated areas of Yemen, have launched attacks against Israeli territory and ships they describe as having some type of connection to the country, as a result of the offensive launched against the Gaza Strip following attacks carried out by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on 7 October.

Likewise, they have attacked American and British ships and other strategic assets in response to these countries’ bombings against Yemen, in an intervention that Washington and London have based on their desire to guarantee the safety of navigation in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.