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Two bulk carriers threaten to sink after Houthi attacks

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Yemen’s Houthi rebels made an unconfirmed claim on Saturday, June 15, that one of the two bulk carriers attacked last week had now sunk in the Gulf of Aden and a second was in danger of sinking in the Red Sea. Western officials have acknowledged that both ships were abandoned and taking on water, but have so far not confirmed that either has sunk.

The Houthis say both ships have been the target of multiple attacks in the past 72 hours, claiming that the shipping companies violated Israel’s “no-entry policy to ports.”

The ship they allegedly sank Verbena (11,400 dwt) is said to be owned by Ukrainian interests and managed from Poland. The cargo ship was built in 2008 and is currently registered in Palau. The ship was reportedly transporting a cargo of wooden construction materials from Malaysia to Italy.

Two anti-ship cruise missiles meet the ship It was in the Gulf of Aden and was hit by an anti-ship missile for the second time within 24 hours. An unconfirmed video circulating on the Internet shows a large hole above the waterline. There were reports of fire on board and a crew member was seriously injured. EUNAVFOR Aspides reports that the crew member was airlifted to the Dutch supply ship HLMNS. Karel Doorman for life-saving surgery. Aspides reported that the sailor was from Nepal, although other reports stated his nationality was Polish.

After UK Maritime Trade Operations initially believed the fires had been extinguished, ship’s personnel reported that the fires were still burning and the ship was sinking. The crew were evacuated and the last confirmed reports indicated that the ship was drifting 30 nautical miles north-east of Djibouti. Other ships were warned that the ship was unlit and posed a danger to navigation.

The Anna-Meta (a 56,280 dwt bulk carrier registered in the Cayman Islands) responded to the distress call and rescued the crew as they abandoned ship. CENTCOM reports that the Iranian frigate IRIN Jamaran was eight nautical miles from the Verbena and did not respond to the call for help.

If the ship sank, it would be the second to be lost during the conflict. In March Rubymar sank several days after the attack. It was also abandoned and drifting in the Red Sea

.In addition, they report on the tutora Greek-owned bulk carrier registered in Liberia is in danger of sinking. France has published a photo of the ship showing the stern.

The ship was attacked on 12 June with a Drone boat and missiles (video above). Salvage tugs are reportedly on their way to the ship and are expected to arrive on Monday. The USS Philippine Sea and a French air defense frigate evacuated the 21 crew members, most of them Filipinos, from the ship by helicopter on Friday. One Filipino is still missing and is believed to have died in the ship’s flooded engine room.

CENTCOM confirmed “severe flooding and damage to the engine room” caused by the drone boat. They report tutor remains in the Red Sea and slowly absorbs water.

The Philippine government expressed its outrage over the attacks on Friday, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who released a video assuring the country that they would do everything possible to protect the country’s sailors. According to reports, the crew of the tutor was evacuated to Djibouti. The Philippines said they would Check the working rules for seafarers. The IMO also issued a strong statement calling for further action to stop the attacks immediately.

In response to the latest escalation, the US Central Command reported that its forces destroyed seven radars in Yemen between Friday and Saturday. According to the statement, the radars enabled the Houthis to attack naval vessels and endanger commercial shipping. CENTCOM also reported that two more unmanned surface vessels were destroyed in the Red Sea and that forces successfully destroyed an unmanned aerial system launched from a Houthis-controlled area of ​​Yemen over the Red Sea.

On Sunday, Houthi forces claimed they had launched attacks on three more ships – the Captain ParisThe Happy Condor and an unnamed American destroyer. The group reported no further hits.

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