Houthis struck merchant ship with drone disguised as slow fishing boat

• The Houthis last week used a naval drone to hit a commercial vessel in the Red Sea.
• New footage circulating on social media appears to show the moments leading up to the attack.
• The naval drone, likely packed with explosives, appears to be a crude-looking fishing vessel.

New video footage appears to show the moments before a Houthi naval drone — seemingly disguised as a slow-moving fishing boat — struck a commercial vessel in the Red Sea last week.

The Iran-backed rebels on Wednesday scored a hit on the M/V Tutor with an uncrewed surface vessel, causing severe flooding and damage to the engine room of the bulk cargo carrier, and forcing the crew to abandon the ship.

A video purporting to show the attack began circulating around social media on Sunday. In it, armed security guards aboard what was identified as the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned Tutor can be seen observing what seems to be the crude-looking naval drone — likely packed with explosives — as it slowly approaches the ship unobstructed.

Shortly after the attack was first reported, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, an element of the British Royal Navy, described the USV as a “small craft” that was white in color and between 5-7 meters (16-23 feet) in length, matching the description of the drone in the videos.

Open-source intelligence accounts also shared photos of the apparent damage caused to the Tutor, revealing a clear puncture in the wall and water inside the vessel. US Central Command said the ship “remains in the Red Sea and is slowly taking on water.”

Business Insider was unable to immediately verify the footage or images.

With the Tutor effectively stranded at sea, the crew was forced to evacuate. On Saturday, a US Navy helicopter airlifted 24 mariners to the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea. From there, the individuals were then transported to the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, where they were medically checked before being flown to shore.

One crew member is still missing, the Navy disclosed on Sunday.

“We are always prepared to help; it is the right thing to do,” said Rear Adm. Marc Miguez, the commander of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, a warship that has been at the forefront of the fight against the Houthis.

Last week’s attack marked the Houthis’ first successful USV strike since they began targeting shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden last fall. Previous attempts either saw the naval drones destroyed by Western forces, or they detonated in the water without hitting anything.

The Tutor was not the only commercial shipping vessel struck last week. The Iran-backed rebels also hit the M/V Verbena with multiple anti-ship missiles as the bulk cargo carrier was sailing through the Gulf of Aden. The crew eventually abandoned their vessel due to the damage sustained, marking the second time that’s happened in the area in just a matter of days.

“This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” the US military said on Saturday, adding that it “will continue to act with partners to hold the Houthis accountable and degrade their military capabilities.”