Merchant ship sinks in Red Sea after fatal attack by Yemen's Houthis
- In Reports
- 09:52 PM, Jun 19, 2024
- Myind Staff
A bulk carrier sank in the Red Sea days after an attack by Yemen’s Houthis, which is believed to have killed one mariner on board, authorities confirmed early Wednesday. This incident marks the second ship to be sunk in the militia’s campaign.
The sinking of the Tutor in the Red Sea appears to be a new escalation by the Iranian-backed Houthis in their campaign targeting shipping through the vital maritime corridor, amid the ongoing conflict over the Israel-Gaza war in the Gaza Strip.
The attack occurred despite a months-long US-led campaign in the region, during which the Navy has faced its most intense maritime fighting since World War II. Near-daily attacks have targeted both commercial vessels and warships.
The Tutor, a Liberian-flagged vessel owned and operated by a Greek company, sank in the Red Sea. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre issued a warning to sailors in the region following the incident.
"Military authorities report maritime debris and oil sighted in the last reported location," the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said. "The vessel is believed to have sunk." The Houthis have not immediately acknowledged the sinking. The US military also did not immediately acknowledge the sinking and did not respond to requests for comment.
The Tutor was attacked about a week ago by a bomb-carrying Houthi drone boat in the Red Sea. John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, stated on Monday that the attack had killed "a crew member who hailed from the Philippines." The Philippines has yet to acknowledge the death, but the man who had been aboard the Tutor has been missing for over a week in the Red Sea, which faces intense summertime heat.
The use of a boat loaded with explosives has drawn parallels to the 2000 USS Cole attack, a suicide assault by Al-Qaeda on the warship while it was at port in Aden, resulting in the deaths of 17 personnel on board. The USS Cole is currently part of a US Navy operation led by the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea, aimed at halting Houthi attacks. Despite these efforts, the militia continues its assaults.
According to the US Maritime Administration, the Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, resulting in the deaths of four sailors. They have also seized one vessel and sunk two since November. A US-led airstrike campaign against the Houthis has been ongoing since January, with a series of strikes on May 30th reportedly killing at least 16 people and injuring 42 others, as claimed by the militia.
In March, the Belize-flagged Rubymar, carrying a load of fertiliser, sank in the Red Sea after taking on water for days following a Houthi attack. The conflict between the Houthis and their attacks on ships in the Red Sea, which they claim are linked to Israel, the US, or the UK, has caused a significant decline in container shipping through the Red Sea since December, according to a recent report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency. This decline, estimated at around 90 percent, is impacting up to 15 percent of the world's maritime traffic that flows through that corridor. However, many of the ships targeted by the Houthis have little or no connection to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Image Source: Telangana Today
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