Houthi Rebels Attack Greek Cargo Ship Near Yemen
The Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for attacking a Greek-owned cargo ship near the Yemeni port city of Al Hudaydah on Wednesday, damaging the vessel’s hull with rockets, drones, and an unmanned surface boat.
The Liberian-flagged Tutor coal carrier left the Port of Ust-Luga, Russia, on May 18 and unloaded its cargo in Port Said, Egypt, on June 9. The Iran-backed Houthis then attacked the vessel in the Red Sea while it was en route to Aqaba, Jordan.
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the Houthis claim the ship sustained significant damage. “The impact of the unmanned surface vessel caused severe flooding and damage to the engine room,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which coordinates naval activities and communications between civilian vessels and security forces, confirmed that the Tutor was taking on water and that the ship’s crew was no longer in control.
The Tutor was reportedly struck by both a small white watercraft and an “unknown airborne projectile,” UKMTO added.
A Greek government official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that “[the Tutor] was hit twice by air and by sea.”
No injuries were reported.
