Houthis Sink Another Ship in Red Sea, Killing Sailor

A Greek-owned bulk carrier ship sank on Wednesday nearly a week after an attack by Yemen’s Houthis, which reportedly killed one crew member on board. The incident marks the second vessel downed by the armed faction following dozens of raids on ships transiting the Red Sea.

Dubbed the Tutor, the cargo ship capsized off the Yemeni coast days after it was targeted by at least two Houthi munitions, with the British military suggesting it was struck by an “unknown airborne projectile” and another water-borne craft – likely an unmanned drone boat. The vessel took on water for some time before it ultimately sank.

While most of the Tutor’s crew was quickly evacuated with the help of the US Navy, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that one Philippine sailor was killed in the attack. The mariner has yet to be identified and Manila has so far offered no public comment, but the Associated Press noted the man has been missing since the Houthi strikes last week.

The Houthis have launched more than 60 attacks on vessels in the Red Sea since Israel’s assault on Gaza kicked off last October, according to the AP, often targeting specific ships alleged to have ties to Tel Aviv. At least four sailors have been killed in the strikes, while dozens of hostages have been captured. Another UK-owned ship was also sunk by a missile in March, though the attack resulted in no casualties.

Leading members of the shipping industry have condemned the sinking of the Tutor, with top shipping associations issuing a joint statement on Wednesday calling for a “swift de-escalation of the situation in the Red Sea.” The groups urged “states with influence in the region” to help safeguard commercial shipping lanes, adding “It is deplorable that innocent seafarers are being attacked while simply performing their jobs.”

The US military has responded to the Houthi attacks in force, launching a flurry of missiles against targets in Yemen since January. As of April, the militant group said hundreds of joint US-UK strikes had killed at least 37 people and injured dozens more, while a more recent operation left 16 dead in one day. Despite the bombing campaign, however, President Joe Biden previously acknowledged the mission was unlikely to prevent uture shipping raids.

Will Porter is assistant news editor at the Libertarian Institute and a regular contributor at Antiwar.com. Find more of his work at Consortium News and ZeroHedge.