Five rescued after suspected attack by Yemen’s Houthis on Red Sea vessel

Surge successful Red Sea attacks aft months of calm perchance signals revival of Houthis’ run implicit Gaza war.

Five unit members person been rescued from a Liberian-flagged cargo vessel successful the Red Sea aft a suspected onslaught from Yemen’s Houthi group, according to a maritime monitor. The onslaught is truthful acold known to person killed astatine slightest 3 sailors retired of the 22-member unit and wounded two.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO), tally by the British military, said connected Wednesday that “search and rescue operations commenced overnight” aft Monday’s attack connected the Greek-owned Eternity C.

UKMTO had said connected Tuesday that the vessel sustained “significant damage” and “lost each propulsion”. UK-based information steadfast Ambrey told the AFP quality bureau that the severely damaged vas had sunk disconnected Yemen’s larboard metropolis of Hodeidah, which is nether the power of the Houthis.

20250708-UKMTO_WARNING_INCIDENT_027-25-UPDATE 003https://t.co/yo0ifPJbtT#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/7VTJBPT8Tt

— UKMTO Ops Centre (@UK_MTO) July 9, 2025

The Houthis, who accidental they are targeting Israel-linked ships arsenic portion of a run of solidarity with Palestinians nether relentless Israeli fire, to unit the Israeli subject to extremity its battle connected Gaza, person not claimed work for the attack.

However, it came 1 time aft they claimed work for attacking different cargo vessel – the Magic Seas – successful the Red Sea, causing it to sink. All the unit were rescued.

The assaults people the archetypal attacks connected shipping successful the Red Sea since precocious 2024, perchance signalling the commencement of a caller equipped run threatening the waterway, which had begun to spot much postulation successful caller weeks.

After Sunday’s onslaught connected the Magic Seas, the Houthis declared that ships owned by companies with ties to Israel were a “legitimate target”, pledging to “prevent Israeli navigation successful the Red and Arabian Seas … until the aggression against Gaza stops and the blockade is lifted”.

Yemen’s exiled government, the European Union’s Operation Aspides subject unit and the US State Department blamed the rebels for the onslaught connected Eternity C.

“These attacks show the ongoing menace that Iran-backed Houthi rebels airs to state of navigation and to determination economical and maritime security,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

“The United States has been clear: We volition proceed to instrumentality indispensable enactment to support state of navigation and commercialized shipping from Houthi violent attacks,” she added.

The bulk bearer had been heading northbound towards the Suez Canal erstwhile it came nether occurrence by men successful tiny boats and by bomb-carrying drones connected Monday night, with information guards connected committee firing their weapons, according to Operation Aspides and Ambrey, cited by The Associated Press quality agency.

Operation Aspides told AFP connected Tuesday that 3 radical had been killed, with astatine slightest 2 injured, including “a Russian electrician who mislaid a leg”.

Authorities successful the Philippines told AFP that determination were 22 unit connected the Eternity C, each but 1 of them Filipinos.

The Eternity C’s operator, Cosmoship Management, has not commented connected casualties oregon injuries.

In abstracted incidents, Israel’s subject and the Houthis exchanged strikes connected Sunday, with Israel saying it had bombed 3 ports and a powerfulness works successful Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, prompting the Iran-allied radical to occurrence much missiles towards Israeli territory.

Israel said it struck the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and as-Salif connected the Red Sea seashore arsenic good arsenic the Ras Kathib powerfulness plant.

It said it besides struck a radar strategy connected the Galaxy Leader, which was seized by the Houthis and remains docked successful the larboard of Hodeidah.