Yemeni armed forces launch new operation in Red Sea

The naval, missile, and UAV forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) carried out a military operation targeting the ship TUTOR in the Red Sea using an unmanned surface vessel, several drones, and ballistic missiles, announced Yahya Saree, the spokesperson for the YAF, on Wednesday.

Saree explained that the operation came after the ship's owning company violated the YAF's ban on entry into the ports of occupied Palestine, confirming that the operation resulted in severe damages to the ship, putting it at risk of sinking.

Earlier, maritime security firms and shipping sources said that a Greek-owned cargo ship was struck by a small craft off Yemen's Red Sea port of Hudeidah and was not under the command of the crew after sustaining damage in its engine room.

The Liberian-flagged vessel, TUTOR, was hit about 67.7 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, said British security firm Ambrey, adding that the incident resembles previous attacks by the Yemeni Armed Forces.

"The vessel aligned with the Houthi target profile at the time of the incident," Ambrey said in an advisory note.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a small, 5-7 meters long craft of white color collided with the cargo ship's stern. A Greek shipping ministry source said the vessel was also attacked from the air.

Brigadier General Saree explained that the YAF attacked the ship with an unnamed surface vehicle, which according to the US military's CENTCOM severely damaged the ship. The spokesperson explained that the ship was at risk of sinking, adding that the YAF launched the attack as an affiliated company of the vessel had breached the terms of the Yemeni embargo on the Israeli occupation.

"The impact of the USV caused severe flooding and damage to the engine room," CENTCOM announced on Wednesday.

The shipmaster reported that the vessel was taking on water and was not under the command of the crew, UKMTO said in an updated report.