DUBAI, June 30. /TASS/. Yemen’s Houthi rebels from the Ansar Allah movement presented their self-produced unmanned surface vehicle that was used to attack the Greek Transworld Navigator bulk carrier in the Red Sea.
The footage aired on the Houthi-own Al Masirah television channel shows the Toofan the Destroyer drone boat and the moment of the attack on the vessel. It is reported that the sea drone can carry a warhead of from 1,000 to 1,500 kilograms and has a speed of up to 45 nautical miles per hour. The Houthis claim that the drone boat "has a high destructive power and can operate in all maritime conditions."
The Houthis claimed the attack on the Transworld Navigator on June 23. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM) the Greek vessel sailing under the Liberian flag in the Red Sea received medium-gravity damage and continued its movement. Several crew members reportedly received minor wounds.
Following the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Ansar Allah movement warned that they would carry out strikes on Israeli territory and would bar any ships associated with the Jewish state from sailing across the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until the operation in the Palestinian enclave ended. Since mid-November 2023, the Houthis have attacked dozens of civilian ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
In response to the Houthi attacks, Washington announced establishing an international coalition and launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to ensure freedom of navigation and protection of vessels in the Red Sea. Since then, the US and UK militaries have regularly delivered joint strikes on the rebels’ military targets across Yemen.