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Times of Oman
6 days ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Houthis sink Greek-owned ship in Red Sea; 4 crew killed, 6 rescued, search ops continue
Manila: Six crew members of the Liberian-flagged cargo ship 'Eternity C', which sank in the Red Sea following a reported seadrone and speedboat attack by Houthi rebels on Monday, have been rescued, the European Union's naval mission. In a statement on Wednesday, the European Union's Aspides naval mission said six people had been pulled from the sea. Operation Aspides is the EU' military operation in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf. The Greek-owned vessel 'Eternity C' was carrying 22 crew members -- 21 Filipinos and one Russian -- when it was allegedly struck by drones and rocket-propelled grenades launched by Iran-backed Houthi militants off the coast of Yemen, the Philippine News Agency said. At least four sailors were killed and 15 others were reported missing on Wednesday after the assault on the cargo ship, Reuters reported citing maritime officials. The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines confirmed on Wednesday night that five of the 21 Filipino seafarers manning the 'Eternity C' ship were rescued, as per a report in the country's state media, PNA. Philippines Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac was cited by the news outlet as saying, "The shipowner has confirmed that the Eternity C sank, and at the same time, five crew members were rescued. They were in the water. The rescue team found them and rescued them. They are still looking for the rest." As per the Al Jazeera, the Houthis said the attack on the 'Eternity C' conducted on Monday was done using an unmanned boat and missiles, and was carried out in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The Iran-backed rebels released a video, which they said depicted their attack on the merchant vessel. The drone video showed explosions on the ship before it sank in the Red Sea. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO), run by the British military in its initial report, stated it had received several third-party reports about a merchant vessel being attacked by multiple rocket-propelled grenades from a small craft at 51NM west of Hudaydah in Yemen. In an update today, the UK agency reported that they have been informed the vessel "has sunk in position 1442N 04226E" and that a search and rescue operations are still ongoing. They also advised other vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity. Meanwhile, the United States Mission in Yemen has accused the Houthis of kidnapping many surviving crew members from 'Eternity C' and has called for their immediate and unconditional safe release. Monday's attack on the 'Eternity C' follows the attack on another vessel named 'Magic Seas' also Greek-owned and Liberian-flagged. Reports have claimed that Houthis attacked 'Magic Seas' on Sunday with drones, missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire, forcing its crew of 22 to abandon the vessel. The rebels later claimed that they sank the 'Magic Seas' in the Red Sea. The Houthis had begun targeting vessels, including those of Israel and the US, in the Red Sea soon after the Hamas terror group launched its attack on Israel, prompting retaliation by Israel, which continues as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has exacerbated regional tensions across West Asia. The Houthis have repeatedly stated that their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians and have pledged to continue attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea until Israel ended its war on Gaza. After the Israel-Hamas ceasefire collapsed in March 2025, US President Donald Trump's administration ramped up the US military campaign against the Houthis. The Trump administration signed an agreement with the Houthis in May this year in which the militant group pledged not to target American ships in the Red Sea in return for a US commitment not to attack them. The Red Sea is a vital maritime trade route and although Red Sea shipping has improved slightly in recent weeks, it remains below normal levels, with USD 1 trillion in annual trade typically flowing through the corridor.
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Six crew rescued, 15 missing after Houthis sink latest Greek ship in Red Sea
The EU's Aspides naval mission, which protects Red Sea shipping, confirmed in a statement that six people had been pulled from the sea. The Red Sea, which passes Yemen's coast, has long been a critical waterway for the world's oil and commodities but traffic has dropped sharply since the Houthi attacks began. The number of daily sailings through the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait, at the southern tip of the Red Sea and a gateway to the Gulf of Aden, numbered 30 vessels on July 8, from 34 ships on July 6 and 43 on July 1, according to data from maritime data group Lloyd's List Intelligence. Oil prices rose on Wednesday, maintaining their highest levels since June 23, also due to the recent attacks on ships in the Red Sea. MULTIPLE ATTACKS Eternity C was first attacked on Monday afternoon with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats by suspected Houthi militants, maritime security sources said. Lifeboats were destroyed during the raid. By Tuesday morning the vessel was adrift and listing. Two security sources told Reuters that the vessel was hit again with sea drones on Tuesday, forcing the crew and armed guards to abandon it. The Houthis stayed with the vessel until the early hours of Wednesday, one of the sources said. Skiffs were in the area as rescue efforts were under way. The crew comprised 21 Filipinos and one Russian. Three armed guards were also on board, including one Greek and one Indian, who was one of those rescued. The vessel's operator, Cosmoship Management, has not responded to requests for confirmation of casualties or injuries. If confirmed, the four reported deaths would be the first fatalities from attacks on shipping in the Red Sea since June 2024. Greece has been in talks with Saudi Arabia, a key player in the region, over the latest incident, according to sources.
Qatar Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
China rejects German accusation over laser aimed at military aircraft
Beijing/Berlin: Beijing on Wednesday rejected the German government's allegation that a Chinese vessel had aimed a laser at a military jet over the Red Sea, as Berlin repeated its claim. Information provided by Germany did not correspond with the facts known to the Chinese side, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing. According to Mao, the Chinese Navy was carrying out escort operations in the Gulf of Aden and in the waters off Somalia, fulfilling its responsibility to maintain security in the region. Germany this week summoned the Chinese ambassador to Berlin over the incident, which took place in early July. According to the German account, a Chinese warship aimed a laser at a German reconnaissance aircraft without any reason or prior contact. The aircraft was travelling over the Red Sea as part of the EU's Aspides military operation to help protect merchant ships from attacks by the Yemeni Houthi militia. In comments to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) media group for publication on Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called on Beijing to explain its actions and said that Berlin would oppose any 'irregular behaviour by China.' The Foreign Ministry in Berlin later reiterated its position.(dpa)
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Four dead and 15 missing from Greek ship attacked in Red Sea
Rescuers pulled six crew members alive from the Red Sea on Wednesday and were searching for 15 still missing from the second of two freighters sunk in as many days by suspected Houthi attackers. The six seafarers who were rescued had spent more than 24 hours in the water, they said.(via REUTERS) Four of the 25 people aboard the Eternity C cargo ship were killed before the rest of the crew abandoned the vessel, which sank on Wednesday morning after being attacked on Monday and Tuesday, sources at security companies involved in a rescue operation said. The six seafarers who were rescued had spent more than 24 hours in the water, they said. One source had said earlier that seven people had been rescued but the EU's Aspides naval mission, which protects Red Sea shipping, issued a statement confirming that just six had been pulled from the sea. The Houthis claimed responsibility for a similar attack on Sunday targeting another ship, the Magic Seas. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it sank. Houthi officials did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. The attacks on the two ships revive a campaign by the Iran-aligned fighters, who had attacked more than 100 ships from November 2023 to December 2024 in what they said was solidarity with the Palestinians, before a lull in their campaign earlier this year. "We will continue to search for the remaining crew until the last light," said an official at Greece-based maritime risk management firm Diaplous. "We aim at a peaceful operation," the official said earlier. Both of the ships that were attacked flew Liberia flags and were operated by Greek firms. SPEED BOATS Eternity C was first attacked on Monday afternoon with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats by suspected Yemen-based Houthi militants, maritime security sources said. Lifeboats were destroyed during the raid. By Tuesday morning the vessel was adrift and listing. Two security sources told Reuters on Wednesday that the vessel was hit again with sea drones on Tuesday, forcing the crew and armed guards to abandon it for the sea. The Houthis stayed with the vessel until the early hours of Wednesday, one of the sources said. There were fears that some of the crew who jumped into the water may have been kidnapped by Houthis, the source added. Skiffs were in the area as the rescue efforts were under way. The crew comprised 21 Filipinos and one Russian. Three armed guards were also on board, including one Greek and one Indian, who was one of those rescued. The vessel's operator, Cosmoship Management, has not responded to requests for confirmation of casualties or injuries. But if confirmed, the four reported deaths would be the first fatalities involving attacks on shipping in the Red Sea since June 2024. Greece has been in talks with Saudi Arabia, a key player in the region, over the latest incident, according to sources. The Red Sea, which passes Yemen's coast, has long been a critical waterway for the world's oil and commodities. Traffic has dropped since the Iran-aligned Houthi militia began targeting ships in November 2023 in what the group said was solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war. Oil prices rose on Wednesday, maintaining their highest levels since June 23, also due to the recent attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
Euractiv
6 days ago
- Politics
- Euractiv
Germany's Merz: Alleged Chinese laser targeting of German aircraft ‘completely unacceptable'
BERLIN – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz denounced a Chinese warship's alleged use of a laser against a German military surveillance aircraft in the Red Sea as "completely unacceptable" on Wednesday afternoon, reiterating the anger from Berlin over the incident. Hours earlier, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning denied the German allegations in remarks to reporters: "What Germany has said is fully inconsistent with the facts.' Merz noted that the Chinese ambassador had been summoned over the incident but that he had not yet been briefed on how China sought to explain the alleged encounter. Such an "attack" on a German aircraft requires clarification, Merz said at a joint afternoon press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Berlin. The incident allegedly occurred earlier this month, when a German military aircraft patrolling off the coast of Yemen as part of the EU's Aspides mission was targeted by a laser from a Chinese warship in the Red Sea. A spokesperson for the German ministry said the Chinese vessel acted without warning or reason, adding that the aircraft aborted its flight mission and diverted to a base in Djibouti. The Aspides mission is an EU maritime surveillance operation aimed at protecting the Red Sea shipping lanes from Houthi attacks that have disrupted a vital trade route for Europe. 'Putting German personnel at risk and disrupting the operation is completely unacceptable,' the German foreign ministry said in a post on X on Tuesday. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he was "more than irritated" over the incident in an interview published Wednesday by Germany's RND news outlet. "Such interference with our aircraft, as well as any other unprovoked endangerment of our units, is unacceptable," he said. Berlin's public accusations came just after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Berlin as part of a broader European tour. Chris Kremidas-Courtney, a senior visiting fellow at the European Policy Centre and an expert on hybrid threats, told Euractiv that the use of lasers is a common tactic employed by Beijing. In 2022, 'Chinese vessels used lasers to blind an Australian aircraft off the northern cost of Australia,' they said. According to Spiegel, a German naval frigate had previously been targeted by Chinese lasers while sailing through the Taiwan Strait in the autumn. The attack, which was intended to "blind" the vessel, was reported to Berlin but not publicly addressed by the German government at the time. Kremidas-Courtney said that pointing a laser at an aircraft disrupts the engine's reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities, and is commonly used as a 'harassment technique'. 'The question is, how will we respond to this escalation?' Kremidas-Courtney asked. This story was updated to include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's remarks on the alleged incident. (bts, de)
