Ship attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels sinks in Red Sea, second such sinking in deadly attack

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A bulk carrier has sunk days after the attack Yemen's Houthi rebels A sailor is believed to have been killed on board, authorities said early Wednesday, marking the second such ship sinking in the insurgent operation.

The sinking of the Tutor in the Red Sea marks what appears to be a new escalation in the targeting of shipping through a key maritime corridor in the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip by the Iran-backed Houthis.

The attack comes after a month-long US-led operation in the region The Navy faces its most intense sea battle yet Since World War II, almost daily attacks have targeted merchant ships and warships.

The Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned and operated Tutor sank in the Red Sea, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said in a warning to sailors in the region.

“Marine debris and oil have been reported by military authorities at the last reported location,” the UKMTO said. “The ship is believed to have sunk.”

The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the sinking. The US military also did not immediately acknowledge the sinking and did not respond to requests for comment.

Tutor was attacked by a bomb-carrying Houthi drone boat in the Red Sea about a week ago. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday that “a crew member from the Philippines” was killed in the attack. The Philippines has yet to confirm the death, but the man who was aboard the Tutor has been missing for more than a week in the Red Sea, which faces intense summer heat.

The use of an explosives-laden boat raised the specter of the 2000 USS Cole attack, an al-Qaeda suicide attack while the warship was in port in Aden, killing 17 people. Cole is now in the Red Sea with the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Part of a US Navy operation led by Eisenhower to try to stop the Houthi offensive, even as the rebels continue their offensive.

The The Houthis have carried out more than 50 attacks On board the ship, four sailors were killed. The US Maritime Administration says it has seized one vessel and sunk two since November. US-led airstrikes targeting the Houthis began in January A series of strikes on 30 May At least 16 people were killed and 42 wounded, the rebels said.

in March, The Belizean flag carrier Rubimar carrying a load of fertilizer sank in the Red Sea After receiving water for days after the rebel attack.

The Houthis have continued to target ships linked to Israel, the United States or the United Kingdom, however, many of the ships they have attacked have little or no connection to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed there in the Gaza war, and hundreds more in Israeli operations in the West Bank. it is It started after the militants led by Hamas Israel attacked on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages.

A recent report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency acknowledged that container shipping through the Red Sea has dropped by 90% since December due to the attacks. 15% of the world's maritime traffic flows through that corridor.