A Filipino sailor was killed in an attack carried out by the Houthis in Yemen on a large cargo ship last week, the White House announced on Monday, condemning the attacks as "terroristic." The Iran-backed Houthis have launched dozens of drone and rocket attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November, claiming it is in support of the Palestinians amidst the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stated that the killed sailor was aboard the "MV TOTOR," which is owned by a Greek company and flies the Liberian flag, having no connection to the Gaza conflict. Water leaked into the ship and it was evacuated after it was struck by a maritime drone off the coast of Al Hudaydah on Wednesday, according to a security report managed by the British Navy.
Kirby also mentioned that a Sri Lankan sailor was seriously injured in a separate Houthi attack on Thursday against the "MV VERBENA," which flies the Palauan flag and is owned by a Ukrainian company and operated by a Polish firm. Kirby told reporters, "This is pure terrorism. There simply are no other words to describe it. The Houthis' claim to support the people of Gaza is baseless."
He also pointed to recently announced U.S. sanctions that the State Department said targeted three individuals and six entities involved in the Houthi arms procurement network. The U.S. State Department stated on Monday that those sanctioned "enabled Houthi forces to generate revenue and acquire a range of materials necessary to manufacture advanced weapons they use to carry out ongoing terrorist attacks against U.S. interests and allies."
