A Filipino sailor was killed when Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked a bulk cargo carrier last week, the White House announced Monday, labelling the incident as terrorism.
The Iran-backed Houthis have carried out numerous drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November, claiming they are retaliatory actions for the Israel-Hamas conflict.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby clarified that the Filipino seaman, killed on the M/V Tutor—a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned ship—had no connection to the Gaza conflict.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has listed the seaman as missing, as reported by Unang Balita. Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has not yet commented.
The M/V Tutor experienced severe flooding and was abandoned after being hit by a sea drone off the coast of rebel-controlled Hodeida on Wednesday, according to a British Navy-operated security agency.
Additionally, a Sri Lankan crew member was critically injured in a separate Houthi attack on the M/V Verbena, a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated vessel, on Thursday.
Kirby condemned the attacks, stating, “This is pure terrorism. There’s simply no other word for it. The Houthi claim of supporting Gazans is meritless.”
He also mentioned new US sanctions targeting three individuals and six entities involved in the Houthi weapons procurement network.
The State Department indicated that these sanctions aim to disrupt the Houthis’ ability to generate revenue and acquire materials for manufacturing advanced weaponry used in their terrorist activities against US and allied interests.
