After Yemen’s Houthi rebels destroyed a ship in the Red Sea, the United States claimed the group may have abducted individuals on board, prompting rescuers to search for over a dozen missing crew members Thursday.
At least three crew members were killed when the Houthis published dramatic film of the sinking of the Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged Eternity C, which the rebels had targeted for hours with explosive drones and gunfire.
After months of firing in a campaign they link to the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have now resorted to a new level of violence with the attack on the Eternity C and the sinking of the bulk carrier Magic Seas following another attack on Sunday.
The future of negotiations between the United States and Iran on Tehran’s damaged nuclear program, as well as a potential new ceasefire in that conflict, are still up in the air. The Israeli military claimed to have intercepted a missile fired by the Houthis against Israel on Thursday morning.
The US cautions Survivors may have been abducted by Houthis.
The Eternity C’s crew consisted of 22 sailors, including 21 Filipinos and one Russian, together with a three-person security team, according to a statement from the European Union naval mission in the Red Sea. On Wednesday, five Filipinos and one Indian were rescued.
The nationalities of the three passengers who died during the hours-long attack on the ship were not immediately known, according to the EU force.
A rebel is allegedly heard on a VHF radio transmission in footage made public by the Houthis, allowing those on board to escape the sinking ship. It was unclear, though, whether any other crew members had escaped and what had become of them.
The U.S. Embassy in Yemen, which has been based in Saudi Arabia for the past ten or so years, said in a post on the X late Wednesday that the rebels might have captured members of the crew.
According to the embassy, the Houthi terrorists have abducted numerous surviving crew members of the Eternity C after murdering their fellow passengers, sinking their ship, and impeding rescue attempts. We demand that they be released immediately and without conditions.
The Houthis have not admitted to capturing any of the escaping crew members and have not stated if they were holding any of them. The rebels, however, can take days to acknowledge strikes.
Attacks garner support for sailors and condemnation.
Hans Cacdac, the secretary for migrant workers in the Philippines, stated that he has been spearheading an endeavor to inform the relatives of the missing Filipino sailors about the search and rescue activities.
Human nature dictates that one should be quite distressed and anxious about the circumstances, Cacdac told The Associated Press over the phone. In addition to providing government services, it is our responsibility as a government to be there for them during their most critical time and to offer the support they require during this hand-holding process.
Flagged out of Liberia but owned by a Greek company, the Eternity C was probably targeted, like the Magic Seas, because its company was doing business with Israel. It appears that neither ship asked the EU force for an escort.
___
This report was written by Jim Gomez from Manila, Philippines.
