Ship sinks in Red Sea after attack by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels

The ship, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, also known as MV Tutor, is believed to be the second ship sunk by Houthis since March when the British registered vessel Rubymar was downed after being struck by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi territory in Yemen.

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Israel launched an invasion of Gaza following the Hamas' attack on Southern Israel in October last year.

Following the attacks by the Hamas terror group, tensions have boiled in the Middle East, with key regional actors condemning the humanitarian crises caused by the war, as reported by CNN.

However, the Tutor was first hit on June 12 by a smaller boat before being struck a second time by "an unknown airborne projectile," the UKMTO stated.

Meanwhile, one crew member has been reportedly missing after the attack, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said last week.

After the ship's entire crew were evacuated from the vessel, it began to drift before reportedly sinking on Tuesday, according to the UKMTO, reported CNN.

Earlier, a Houthi spokesperson said that the ship had been attacked by a sea drone, ballistic missiles and other drones for violating their so-called "ban to the occupied Palestinian ports."

However, the CENTCOM shared on X that these ongoing threats to international commerce caused by the Houthis make it harder to deliver assistance to the Gaza and Yemeni people.

"The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza and yet they are targeting and threatening the lives of third-country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza. The ongoing threat to international commerce caused by the Houthis in fact makes it harder to deliver badly needed assistance to the people of Yemen as well as Gaza," the CENTCOM stated.

Earlier this month, CENTCOM launched attacks on Houthi radars which helped to facilitate the group's ongoing assaults on ships in the Red Sea, the US Central Command said.

Notably, Israel launched its military offensive in October after the Hamas-terror group killed at least 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 others. (ANI)