Yemen’s Houthi militants are believed to have sunk a second ship, the Tutor, in the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Tuesday.
The Greek-owned Tutor coal carrier was struck by missiles and an explosive-laden remote-controlled boat last Wednesday and had been taking on water, according to previous reports from UKMTO, the Houthis and other sources.
“Military authorities report maritime debris and oil sighted in the (Tutor’s) last reported location,” UKMTO, a capability of the Royal Navy, said in a security update.
The Tutor’s manager could not immediately be reached for comment.
One crew member, believed to be in the Tutor’s engine room at the time of the attacks, remains missing.
The U.K.-owned Rubymar was the first ship sunk by the Houthis. It went down on March 2, about two weeks after being struck by missiles.
The UKMTO’s report of the suspected Tutor sinking comes a week after the Houthis seriously damaged that Liberia-flagged ship, as well as the Palau-flagged Verbena, which was loaded with wood construction material.
Sailors from the Verbena abandoned ship when they were unable to contain a fire sparked by the attacks. The Verbena is now drifting in the Gulf of Aden and vulnerable to sinking or further assaults.
U.S. and British forces on Monday conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Hodeidah International Airport and Kamaran Island near the port of Salif off the Red Sea in what appeared to be retaliation for last week’s ship attacks.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have been targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region since November, in what they say are attacks in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The Houthi drone and missile assaults have forced shipping firms to divert vessels from the Suez Canal to the longer route around Africa, disrupting global trade by delaying deliveries and sending costs higher.
In November, the Houthis seized another vessel, the Galaxy Leader cargo ship. On Tuesday its manager renewed calls for the Houthi to release the ship’s 25 crew, who have been held for seven months.
The militants used helicopters to attack the Bahamas-flagged ship on Nov. 19. They captured the Bulgarian ship master and chief officer, along with 17 Filipinos and other sailors from Ukraine, Mexico and Romania, STAMCO Ship Management said in a statement.
“There is nothing to be gained by the Houthis in keeping the 25 crew members,” said STAMCO, which requested that they be released to their families without further delay.
