Rescuers search for missing crew after Red Sea attack
The Houthis released dramatic footage of the sinking of the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned Eternity C, which the rebels targeted with gunfire and explosive drones for hours, killing at least three crew members.
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The attack on the Eternity C, as well as the sinking of the bulk carrier Magic Seas after another attack on Sunday, represent a new level of violence being employed by the Houthis after a months of holding their fire in a campaign they tie back to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, a possible ceasefire in that war – as well as the future of talks between the US and Iran over Tehran's battered nuclear programme – remain in the balance.
A statement from the European Union naval mission in the Red Sea said the crew of the Eternity C included 22 sailors, among them 21 Filipinos and one Russian, as well as a three-member security team. Rescuers on Wednesday recovered five Filipinos and one Indian.
Three people also were killed during the hours-long attack on the ship, the EU force said, and their nationalities were not immediately known.
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Israeli airstrikes targeted the port in Hodeida, Yemen, on Tuesday (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
In footage released by the Houthis, a rebel can be purportedly heard on a VHF radio transmission offering those on board the ability to flee the sinking vessel.
However, it was not clear if any more crew fled and what happened to them.
In a post on X, the US Embassy in Yemen – which has operated from Saudi Arabia for about a decade now – alleged that the rebels may have taken some of the crew.
'After killing their shipmates, sinking their ship and hampering rescue efforts, the Houthi terrorists have kidnapped many surviving crew members of the Eternity C,' the embassy said.
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'We call for their immediate and unconditional safe release.'
The Houthis have not acknowledged taking any of the fleeing crew members and did not mention whether it had any of them in their custody. However, the rebels can take days before acknowledging any attacks.
In the Philippines, migrant workers secretary Hans Cacdac has been leading efforts to reach out to the families of the missing Filipino sailors to update them on the search and rescue operation.
'It's human nature that one should be terribly worried and distraught about the situation,' Mr Cacdac told The Associated Press by telephone.
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'It's our role in government to be there for them in their utmost hour of need to ensure that not just government services, but throughout this hand-holding process, we will provide the necessary support.'
The Eternity C, flagged out of Liberia but owned by a Greek firm, likely had been targeted like the Magic Seas over its firm doing business with Israel. Neither vessel apparently requested an escort from the EU force.
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