According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the Greek coal carrier Tutor was likely sunk in the Red Sea following a recent missile strike by Houthi fighters in Yemen, reports Reuters.
The vessel was struck on June 12.
"Military authorities report maritime debris and oil sighted in the (Tutor's) last reported location," said an updated report from UKMTO.
One crew member, presumably in the engine room of the Tutor during the attack, remains missing.
Targeting of commercial ships by the Houthis Since November last year, the Houthis in Yemen have been targeting ships in the Red Sea region. They justify their attacks on commercial shipping as a sign of solidarity with the Hamas group in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is conducting a military operation against terrorists in response to a massive attack in October 2023.
On March 2nd this year, the Yemeni Houthi-attacked ship Rubymar sank in the Red Sea. This is the first vessel to go down after an attack by militants.
It is noted that the UKMTO report on the likely sinking of the Tutor came a week after the Houthis severely damaged the ship, which was flying the Liberian flag. Additionally, the Ukrainian ship Verbena, flying the flag of Palau and loaded with wooden construction materials, was recently attacked. The crew of the Verbena abandoned the ship as they couldn't contain the fire after the attack. The vessel is currently adrift in the Gulf of Aden.
