Houthis release video of Red Sea attack on 'Magic Seas' vessel
Yemen's Houthis (Ansarallah) on Tuesday released footage via their military media showing the moment they attacked and sank the commercial vessel Magic Seas in the Red Sea.
The footage begins with Houthi fighters communicating with the ship's crew and ordering it to stop. It then shows the subsequent strike and boarding operation that led to the vessel's eventual sinking.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack yesterday, stating that Magic Seas was targeted with two unmanned explosive boats, five cruise missiles, and three drones.
The United Arab Emirates confirmed that the Svenbrism, a vessel owned by Abu Dhabi Ports Group, responded to a distress call from Magic Seas following the attack. In a statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry said the rescue operation successfully saved all 22 crew members, including security personnel.
The Houthis have launched multiple maritime and aerial attacks in recent months targeting ships and sites linked to Israel. The group says the campaign is a direct response to Israel's continued military operations in Gaza.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
26 minutes ago
- Shafaq News
Justice delayed: Amnesty pressures Syria on Alawite massacre
Shafaq News – Damascus On Wednesday, Amnesty International (Amnesty or AI) urged the Syrian government to release the findings of its investigation into the mass killings that targeted the Alawite community earlier this year. Kristyan Benedict, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty, stressed that survivors and the families of victims are entitled to know what happened, who was responsible, and what measures were taken to ensure accountability. He also added that 'Only independent and impartial investigations can pave the way for justice through fair and credible trials,' stressing that 'Families cannot be left in the dark while impunity prevails.' He further called on Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa to ensure meaningful compensation for survivors and affected families. We're calling on Syria's president to publish the full findings of the investigation into the mass killings targeting Alawite civilians. Survivors and families have the right to know who was responsible and what steps will be taken to deliver justice. — Kristyan Benedict (@KreaseChan) July 9, 2025 The violence erupted on March 6 in Syria's coastal region and continued for three days, with authorities pointing to armed groups loyal to former president Bashar al-Assad as responsible for launching the attacks. However, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that forces aligned with the current government, along with allied militias, carried out mass executions and other abuses. The group estimated that approximately 1,700 civilians were killed—most of them from the Alawite minority, the sect to which the Assad family belongs. On March 9, the presidency announced the formation of a committee to investigate the events, initially pledging to release its findings within a month. That timeline was later extended by three months, setting the new deadline for July 10. Transitional President al-Sharaa also vowed accountability for those involved in the violence, reaffirming his effort to prevent the country from descending into civil war.
Shafaq News
32 minutes ago
- Shafaq News
Iraq leads Arab push for water security at UN
Shafaq News - New York On Wednesday, Iraq's Permanent Mission to the United Nations hosted a high-level Arab coordination meeting to prepare for two major UN summits on water scarcity and sandstorms. According to a statement from Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting was chaired by Iraq's Permanent Representative to the UN, Abbas Kazem Obeid, and in cooperation with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). In his remarks, Obeid emphasized the importance of a unified Arab stance in confronting shared environmental challenges, particularly in the areas of water security and sand and dust storms, noting that over 90% of the region's land is classified as severely arid, with 13 Arab countries facing extreme water scarcity. 'Human activity contributes to roughly one-third of the region's sand and dust storms,' he pointed out. The statement added that representatives of Arab countries thanked Iraq for the initiative and praised its diplomatic mission for strengthening joint Arab action in addressing growing environmental and development challenges.
Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Syria plans mass foreign fighters relocation
Shafaq News - Damascus Syria's interim government is arranging the relocation of thousands of foreign armed forces' fighters to African countries, a source close to Syrian military leadership revealed on Wednesday. The source told the Emirati outlet Erem News that the move aims to ease 'growing internal and external pressure on the transitional authority' over the presence of foreign combatants, who reportedly number between 10,000 and 12,000—roughly 10 to 20% of the forces that helped topple the Al-Assad regime. The foreign fighter issue has become a central concern for Western governments engaging with post-Assad Syria. Observers say any progress on diplomatic normalization or reconstruction aid will likely hinge on how the interim authorities address the fate of these fighters, according to Erem News. Earlier, the Syrian administration took steps to formalize the role of some foreign fighters within its restructured army. However, their presence remains a critical challenge, particularly as Damascus seeks international legitimacy and explores the possibility of normalizing ties with Israel. Domestically, the issue has become increasingly contentious amid reports of foreign fighters acting outside government control, conducting raids, and seizing properties belonging to minority groups in Damascus and coastal cities. The Syrian interim government has not issued any statement regarding this matter, and it remains unclear how the proposed relocations would be implemented or whether the receiving countries have agreed to host the fighters.
