The US military attacked the Houthis after a call for urgent action in the Red Sea
Jun 20, 2024
Washington [US], June 20: On June 19, the US military announced that it had destroyed a ground control station and a command point in an area controlled by Houthi forces in Yemen.
In a statement, the US military 's Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had destroyed two Houthi unmanned boats in the Red Sea, according to Reuters. There is currently no information on Houthi's reaction.
CENTCOM issued the statement hours after leading industry groups stressed urgent action must be taken in the Red Sea to prevent Houthi attacks on merchant ships, following the sinking of a second ship.
"Attacks like these must stop now. We call on influential countries in the region to protect our innocent seafarers and quickly de-escalate the situation in the Red Sea ", leading industry groups emphasized in a statement on June 19.
The above call came after salvage companies confirmed on June 19 that the Greek-owned cargo ship Tutor, attacked by Houthis in the Red Sea last week, had sunk.
International navies have been deployed to provide defensive support mainly to ships still passing through the Red Sea, but attacks have increased significantly.
Sources in the insurance industry said on June 19 that there is also growing concern about the Houthis using unmanned boats to attack. An industry source said it was difficult to defend against Houthi drones and that they were "more lethal when they attack".
Mr. Munro Anderson, of insurance company Vessel Protect (UK), said there were 10 Houthi attacks in June compared to 5 attacks in May.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
