Filipino sailor killed in Houthi attack on cargo ship, White House says

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A Filipino sailor was killed in an attack by Yemeni Houthi rebels on a cargo ship last week, the White House said.

He had been missing since the coal carrier Tutor was hit by an explosive drone boat off the port of Hodeidah on June 12. The other 21 Filipino crew members arrived in Manila on Monday, Philippine media reported.

The Liberian-flagged vessel, which was found flooded and abandoned after the incident, is one of dozens of vessels attacked in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November by the Iran-backed Houthis. The group says its operations are to support Gaza while Israel wages war on the enclave.

“A few days ago, the Houthis attacked the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned and operated bulk carrier Tutor, killing a Filipino crew member,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing on Monday.

He said a Sri Lankan crew member was seriously injured in a Houthis attack on the Ukrainian MV Verbena on June 14. “This is pure terrorism. There is simply no other word for it. The Houthis’ claim that they are supporting the people of Gaza is baseless,” Kirby said.

“The Houthis killed an innocent crew member from the Philippines and seriously injured a Sri Lankan sailor. They committed no crimes and were simply doing their job. They did not supply weapons to Israel and they did not take sides in the Middle East. They were just occupying their posts on board, trying to make money and keep world trade going.”

Despite a US-led task force and an EU naval operation in the Red Sea, merchant ships continue to be subjected to attacks by militants. The US and Britain have also carried out repeated attacks on Houthi weapons depots and launch bases.

The US Central Command said its forces had destroyed four Houthi radar systems and an unmanned surface vessel in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, as well as a drone over the Red Sea.

US and British forces carried out at least six airstrikes on Hodeidah airport and four attacks on Kamaran Island off Port Salif, about 60 kilometres north of Hodeidah, the Houthi-run Al Masirah television station reported on Monday.

These would be the first attacks on Kamaran Island since the US and its allies began their operations in early February.

Military sources in Yemen’s internationally recognized government told Reuters that the Houthis were believed to have used the island and Port Salif as launching sites for attacks on ships. Salt mines in those areas have also been used to hide missile and drone supplies, the sources said.

Updated: June 18, 2024, 10:08 a.m.