Houthis attack would have sunk second ship in the Red Sea, says organization

Yemen’s Houthis are believed to have sunk a second ship, the Tutor, in the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Tuesday (18).

The Greek-owned freighter Tutor was hit by missiles and a remote-controlled boat loaded with explosives on June 12, and was sinking, according to information previously released by the UKMTO, the Houthis and other sources.

“Military authorities report marine debris and oil sighted at last reported location [do Tutor]”, highlighted UKMTO.

The person responsible for the Tutor could not be reached for comment.

A crew member, who was said to be in the Tutor’s engine room at the time of the attacks, remains missing.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have been targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region since November in what they say are attacks in solidarity with the Palestinians.

The UK-owned Rubymar was the first ship sunk by the Houthis. This happened on March 2, about two weeks after being hit by missiles.

The UKMTO’s statement on the alleged sinking of the Tutor comes a week after the Houthis seriously damaged the Liberian-flagged vessel, as well as the Palau-flagged vessel Verbena, which was loaded with wooden construction material.

Sailors from the Verbena abandoned ship when they were unable to contain a fire caused by the attacks. The Verbena is now adrift in the Gulf of Aden and vulnerable to sinking or further attack.

The Houthis have also seized another ship and killed three sailors in other actions since November.

Houthi drone and missile attacks have forced shipping companies to divert ships from the Suez Canal to a longer route around Africa, impacting global trade by delaying deliveries and increasing shipping costs.

On Monday (17), US and British forces carried out airstrikes against Hodeidah International Airport, in Yemen, and Kamaran Island, near the Red Sea port of Salif, in what appeared to be retaliation for the attacks. against ships from last week.