DUBAI: Five seafarers have been rescued after a cargo ship was attacked and sunk off rebel-held Yemen, maritime monitors said on Wednesday (Jul 9), as a search continues for the remaining crew.
The Eternity C, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, was badly damaged in the deadly attack in the Red Sea that started on Monday and continued into Tuesday.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have not claimed responsibility for the incident, which comes after they boarded and sank another cargo ship on Sunday.
The attacks mark the first wave of Houthi-linked ship strikes since last month’s 12-day war between their main backer, Iran, and Israel.
“Search and rescue operations commenced overnight,” said the British navy’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
“Five crew members have been rescued and searches continue for those remaining,” it added.
On Tuesday, the European Union force patrolling the Red Sea told AFP that three people were killed and at least two injured – including a Russian electrician who lost a leg – in the attack on the Eternity C.
Twenty-two people were aboard the Greek-operated vessel, all but one from the Philippines, according to Filipino officials.
The US embassy in Yemen has accused the Houthis of staging the attack, with UK-based security firm Ambrey also saying the group was likely to blame.
The Houthis have attacked ships in the vital trade route since the start of the Gaza war, claiming solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
But Sunday’s attack on the Magic Seas was their first since late last year, following a Gaza ceasefire and a heavy US bombing campaign targeting Houthi areas.
The rebels released a propaganda video showing masked, armed men storming the Magic Seas and simultaneous explosions that scuttled the bulk carrier.
Houthi attacks have prompted many freight companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, which normally carries about 12 per cent of global trade.
The US bombing campaign, aimed at stamping out the attacks, ended with a ceasefire in early May. However, the rebels told AFP they would continue to target “Israeli ships”.
On Monday, they said they hit the Magic Seas because the company that owns it had done business with Israel and used its ports.
In a statement on Tuesday, the US embassy in Yemen blamed the Houthis for the Eternity C attack, calling it “the most violent” yet and accusing them “undermining freedom of navigation in the Red Sea”.
Meanwhile Israel, stung by regular Houthi missile attacks, has carried out several strikes on Yemen, including a wave of air raids on Sunday.
