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

US and UK forces launch strikes on Hodeidah airport and Kamaran Island, rebel-run media reports

Capt Christian Domarique was among 21 Filipino crew members who arrived in Manila on Monday, after the Houthi attack on the Tutor cargo ship. EPA

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

He had been missing since the Tutor coal carrier was struck 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 flooded and was abandoned after the incident, is among dozens of ships to be attacked by the Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November. The group says its operations are in support of Gaza as Israeli wages war on the enclave.

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

He said a Sri Lankan crew member was critically injured on June 14 in a Houthi attack on the Ukrainian-owned MV Verbena. "This is pure terrorism. There's simply no other word for it. The Houthi claim of supporting Gazans is meritless," Mr Kirby said.

“The Houthis killed an innocent crew member from the Philippines and critically wounded a Sri Lankan sailor who were guilty of no crimes, who were simply doing their jobs. They weren’t delivering arms to Israel, they weren’t taking sides in the Middle East. They were just manning their posts aboard ship, trying to earn a paycheck and keep global commerce moving.”

Commercial vessels continue to face attacks from the militants despite a US-led task force and an EU naval operation in the Red Sea. The US and UK have also launched repeated strikes on Houthi weapons stores and launch sites.

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

US and British forces carried out at least six air strikes on Hodeidah’s airport and four strikes on Kamaran Island, off the Port Salif, about 60km north of Hodeidah, the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV channel reported on Monday.

The strikes would mark the first time Kamaran Island had been struck since the US and its allies began carrying out operations in early February.

Military sources in Yemen’s internationally recognised government told Reuters that the Houthis are believed to have used the island and Port Salif as launch sites for attacks on ships. Salt mines in those areas have also been used to hide stockpiles of missiles and drones, the sources said.