Cargo ship Tutor believed to have sunk following Houthi attack in Red Sea

One crew member reported dead after Greek-owned coal carrier was struck by missiles and sea drone on June 12

Yemen's Houthis are believed to have sunk a second ship in the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations has said.

The Greek-owned Tutor coal carrier was struck by missiles and a sea drone on June 12 and had been taking in water, according to previous reports from UKMTO, which liaises between the military and merchant shipping, the Houthis and other sources.

Neither the Houthis, nor the US military confirmed Tuesday's report of the sinking.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Monday that the attack killed “a crew member who hailed from the Philippines.”

The Philippines has yet to acknowledge the death, but the man who had been aboard the Tutor has been missing for over a week in the Red Sea.

The other crew members of the Tutor abandoned the vessel on Friday.

“Military authorities report maritime debris and oil sighted in the [Tutor's] last reported location,” UKMTO said in a security update.

The sinking of the Tutor in the Red Sea marks what appears to be a new escalation by the Iranian-backed Houthis in their campaign targeting shipping through the vital maritime corridor, in attacks they say are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The attack comes as the US Navy faces its most intense maritime fighting since the Second World War, with near-daily attacks on commercial vessels and warships.

The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, killing four sailors. Since November, they have seized one vessel and sunk another, according to the US Maritime Administration.

A US-led air strike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with strikes on May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels said.

In March, the Belize-flagged Rubymar, which was carrying a cargo of fertiliser, sank in the Red Sea after taking in water for days following a rebel attack.

The Houthis have maintained their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the US and the UK.

However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the Israel-Gaza war.

Houthi drone and missile assaults have forced shipping firms to divert vessels from the Suez Canal trade shortcut to the longer route around Africa, disrupting global trade by delaying deliveries and increasing costs.

The US military said its forces destroyed eight Houthi drones in a rebel-controlled area of Yemen on Tuesday.

In a statement, the US Central Command said partner forces successfully destroyed one Houthi drone over the Gulf of Aden.

“There were no injuries or damage reported by US, coalition, or merchant vessels,” it said. “It was determined these systems presented an imminent threat to US, coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region.”