THE Greek-owned MV Tutor submerged in the depths of the Gulf of Aden after being hit multiple times by missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged MV Tutor was believed to have gone down overnight in the Red Sea off Eritrea after being targeted several times by the Houthis last week, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency.
The bulk carrier was transiting through the southern Red Sea when an unmanned, remote-controlled boat laden with explosives sent by Houthis targeted the ship on June 12, causing severe damage at the stern and flooding.
The Houthis staged a second attack on the same vessel hours later by hitting it with a missile.
One of the Filipino engineers aboard the ship died while the remaining 21 crewmembers were evacuated and returned to the Philippines on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Houthis claimed that the Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned MV Verbena also sunk in the Gulf of Aden after the militant group hit the vessel with three anti-ship missiles on June 13. The ship was carrying a cargo of wood construction material from Malaysia to Italy when the rebel group targeted it while passing through the Red Sea.
The Houthis warned that attacks on commercial ships with links to Israel will continue in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians as the war in Gaza rages.
The incident will make MV Tutor the second sinking of a commercial vessel struck by the Houthis since November in case Yemen’s claim about Verbena was not accurate.
