Sana'a [Yemen], June 20 (HBTV): A Greek-owned ship sank in the Red Sea after being attacked by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on Wednesday, reported CBS News citing the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).  

The ship, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, also known as MV Tutor, is believed to be the second ship sunk by Houthis since March when the British registered vessel Rubymar was downed after being struck by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi territory in Yemen. 

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Israel launched an invasion of Gaza following the Hamas' attack on Southern Israel in October the previous year. 

Following the attacks by the Hamas terror group, tensions worsened in the Middle East, with key regional actors condemning the humanitarian crises caused by the war, as reported by CNN. 

However, the Tutor was first hit on June 12 by a smaller boat before being struck a second time by "an unknown airborne projectile," the UKMTO stated.

A crew member has reportedly been missing after the attack, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the previous week.   

After the ship's entire crew was evacuated from the vessel, it began to drift before reportedly sinking on Tuesday, according to the UKMTO, CNN reported. 

Earlier, a Houthi spokesperson said that the ship had been attacked by a sea drone, ballistic missiles, and other drones for violating their so-called "ban to the occupied Palestinian ports." 

However, the CENTCOM shared on X that these ongoing threats to international commerce caused by the Houthis make it harder to deliver assistance to the Gaza and Yemeni people.  

"The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza and yet they are targeting and threatening the lives of third-country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza. The ongoing threat to international commerce caused by the Houthis in fact makes it harder to deliver badly needed assistance to the people of Yemen as well as Gaza," CENTCOM stated.  

Earlier this month, CENTCOM launched attacks on Houthi radars that allegedly helped the group's ongoing assaults on ships in the Red Sea, the US Central Command said. 

(ANI) This is a syndicated news feed. HBTV has edited it for clarity.