US forces destroy two Houthi targets in Yemen amid Red Sea ship attacks

American forces on Wednesday (June 19) announced that they have destroyed two Houthi rebel sites in Yemen following a spate of ship attacks by the rebel group. 

“USCENTCOM forces successfully destroyed one ground control station and one command-and-control node,” in a Houthi area of Yemen, the military command announced on X. CENTCOM also took out two Houthi “uncrewed surface vessels (USV) in the Red Sea” within the last 24 hours. 

Previously, on Tuesday, CENTCOM reported destroying eight Houthi drones.

Meanwhile, the MV Tutor, a merchant ship left abandoned after a Houthi attack last week, is believed to have sunk, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The ship, Liberia-flagged and owned by the Greeks, was hit by a sea drone and aerial projectile on June 12. A Filipino crew member believed to have been in the ship’s engine room at the time of the attack was reportedly killed.

“Military authorities report maritime debris and oil sighted in the (Tutor’s) last reported location,” said the UKMTO in a security update. 

It added, “The vessel is believed to have sunk.”

Just a couple of months back, on March 2, a Houthi attack led to the sinking of the UK-owned Rubymar.   

The Houthis have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023. These attacks, they claim, are in support of Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war.

In response to the attacks, the United States and the United Kingdom have launched strikes to weaken the Iran-backed rebels’ attack capabilities. Additionally, as per AFP, an international effort has been trying to intercept drones and missiles fired at ships.

Since November, the Houthis, at war with a Saudi-led coalition after ousting the government from Sanaa in 2014, have launched numerous drone and missile attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. These attacks have driven up insurance costs for transiting vessels, causing many shipping firms to take the longer route around Africa’s southern tip.

(With inputs from agencies)