As the fate of a Greek-controlled bulker that suffered water ingress and serious damage from a Houthi attack on Wednesday remains unclear, a new incident was reported on Thursday.
Maritime security firm Diaplous said that a merchant vessel reported via VHF that it was targeted by a missile at 08:15 GMT as it was sailing 82 nautical miles (159 km) north-west of the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah in the Red Sea.
The projectile landed on water “in close proximity” to the unidentified ship.
“Both vessel and crew reported safe, and continued sailing to the next port of call,” Diaplous reported.
Meanwhile, no further information has been forthcoming about the condition of the 82,000-dwt Tutor (built 2022), an Evalend Shipping-owned vessel that was attacked by a sea drone and a missile in the southern Red Sea on Wednesday.
The Tutor has not been under its own command after suffering “severe flooding and damage to its engine room”, according to the US military.
It was receiving help from nearby military vessels and TradeWinds understands there have been enquiries for boats to tow the vessel to safety. The Tutor was said to be carrying a coal cargo from Russia to India.
The lack of information about the Tutor suggests that a towing or some other kind of rescue operation is underway, with players involved seeking to avoid attracting Houthi attention.
Meanwhile, Western air forces reportedly pounded Houthi targets around Hodeidah late on Wednesday, according to Iranian media reports.
The Houthis have recently stepped up their campaign against shipping, warning that they regard every ship of a company they believe has traded with Israel to be a legitimate target.
