Just as observers expected, Houthi militants posted a propaganda video on social media showing the attacks made successfully against the bulk carrier Tutor ship sunk this week after the first offensive.
In addition to showing the attacks with a drone boat, it seems that the sinking of the hull with other explosions has been accelerated; a way of acting that was rumored in recent months had already been adopted for the Rubymar ship last March
Sٍtatement provided by the Houthi
According to the statement provided by the Houthi military forces, the Greek shipping shipping shipowning company had been warned of having violated the ban on port of call in Israeli ports and the portarinfu Tutor had purposely turned off its Ais signal while it was in navigation in the Red Sea (a practice commonly followed by many ships so as not to be traceable). The Greek bulking was a brand new 82,000-ton bilicurity kamsarmax delivered in September 2022 by the Chinese shipyard Jiangsu Yangzi – Mitsui.
“During the passage from the Red Sea, several naval weapons were used to strike and sink the Tutor ship, including weapons used for the first time. We invite all shipping companies to take our warnings seriously, otherwise they will assume full responsibility for the safety of ships and crews,” the Houthi military said.
A small boat approaching
In the video of the attack you can see a small boat approaching the hull and then exploded in the impact.
Safety consulting firm Ambrey described the attacks as being carried out with a 5 to 7-meter long fishing boat made of fiberglass or wood. The Houthis placed on board the puppets in an attempt to mask the threat while a second boat was in the area and it is thought to have control of the radio-controlled boat.
One of these kamikaze boats had run aground near the Bab al Mandeb Strait in January 2024 and, according to Ambrey, was found with 25 kg of explosive C4 and 50 kg of TNT on board; it had three switches in contact for the detonation.
Video of the attack
The video of the attack on the bulk carrier Tutor also shows a second explosion on the left side of the boat, which is consistent with the investigation of the case. It is unclear, however, whether the U.S. ship and central command reports were reported — the explosion originated from a second drone or a missile or another type of unidentified “buliter.”
TUTOR (IMO: 9942627) is a Bulk Carrier and is sailing under the flag of Liberia. Her length overall (LOA) is 229 meters and her width is 32.3 meters.
مشاهد استهداف سفينة توتور بزورقين مسلحين في البحر الأحمر واغراقها pic.twitter.com/0cFhx5iKF1
— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) June 19, 2024
The bulk carrier Tutor was abandoned by the crew on Friday, June 14, and US and French military forces coordinated the evacuation of the crew.
At the end of the Houthi video you see the cargo ship immersed in the stern, which is consistent with the news that the engine room was flooded. In addition to this, however, you see a ring of explosions around the stern of the ship and this suggests that the Houthis have detonated other charges to accelerate the sinking of the hull.
Read more :
IOM : At least 13 killed, 14 missing after boat sinks off Yemen
