Latest news with #maritimeSecurity
The Independent
10-07-2025
- The Independent
Video: Houthi rebels sink cargo ship Eternity C in Red Sea
Yemen's Houthi rebels have released footage of an attack on the Eternity C vessel in the Red Sea. At least four people have been killed and many other crew kidnapped after Houthi rebels sank the cargo ship in the Red Sea, authorities have said. 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, before being attacked again which forced the crew to abandon it. The ship sank on Wednesday morning.
Bloomberg
09-07-2025
- Bloomberg
Houthis Terrorize Sailors With Fresh Attacks on Ships in Red Sea
Yemen's Houthi militants sank two commercial ships and killed sailors during three days of attacks in the Red Sea this week — a stark reminder to vessel owners and crews of the risks of traversing the maritime chokepoint. The Eternity C, a commodity carrier, sank Wednesday morning, two days after it came under attack, the European Union's naval force in the area said in a statement. Six crew were rescued while 19 remain 'missing,' it said. Of the 19, there are at least three fatalities, a person with knowledge of the incident said, asking not to be identified discussing private information.
CNA
09-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Yemen's Houthis claim deadly Red Sea attack on merchant ship
DUBAI: Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility Wednesday (Jul 9) for a deadly attack that sank a merchant vessel earlier this week, their second attack on Red Sea shipping in 24 hours as they resumed their campaign in the key waterway. The US embassy later said on Wednesday that Houthis kidnapped mariners from the ship they attacked. The Eternity C, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, was badly damaged in the attack that started on Monday and continued into Tuesday, before the ship sank. Yemen's rebels claimed responsibility for the attack, which came a day after they boarded and sank the Magic Seas - their first attack on shipping this year. Their resumed attacks mark the end of a months-long lull and threaten a May ceasefire with the United States that ended weeks of strikes on Houthi targets. "The naval force of the Yemeni Armed Forces targeted the ship Eternity C," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said, claiming that the vessel was headed for the Israeli port of Eilat and was attacked in support of Palestinians in Gaza. 19 MISSING Saree said the Houthis had "moved to rescue a number of the ship's crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location". The attack was carried out with an unmanned vessel and six cruise and ballistic missiles, Saree added. Operation Aspides - the EU naval task force in the Red Sea - told AFP that five Filipinos and one Indian had been rescued, while 19 others were still missing. Rescue and search operations are ongoing, it said. The UN envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, expressed "grave concern" over attacks that resulted in "civilian loss of life and casualties as well as the potential for environmental damage". "Yemen must not be drawn deeper into regional crises that threaten to unravel the already extremely fragile situation in the country," he said. A total of 25 people were aboard the Eternity, the EU task force said. The Philippine authorities said 21 were citizens. On Tuesday, Aspides said three people were killed in the attack on the Eternity C and at least two were injured - including a Russian electrician who lost a leg. "CEASE AGRESSION" Saree warned "all companies dealing with the ports of occupied Palestine (Israel) that their ships and crews will be targeted" until Israel has been forced to "lift the siege on our brothers in Gaza, cease the aggression against them and end the ongoing war". The Houthis began their attacks on Red Sea shipping in late 2023, saying they were in support of Palestinians in Gaza. On Monday, they said they hit the Magic Seas because its owner had done business with Israel and used its ports. The rebels released a video showing masked gunmen storming the Magic Seas and simultaneous explosions that scuttled the bulk carrier. Both ships had likely been attacked "due to prior Israeli port calls or ownership/ship manager affiliations", according to the Joint Maritime Information Centre, run by Western navies. Huthi attacks have prompted many shipping firms to make the time-consuming detour around the southern tip of Africa to avoid the Red Sea, which normally carries about 12 per cent of global trade. The Houthis had threatened to renew their attacks after the Gaza ceasefire collapsed in March, prompting a deadly US bombing campaign against the rebels that ended with a May ceasefire. However, the rebels said they would continue to target "Israeli ships". In a statement on Tuesday, the US embassy in Yemen blamed the Huthis for the Eternity C attack, calling it "the most violent" yet and accusing them of "undermining freedom of navigation in the Red Sea". Israel, which has also come under direct missile and drone attack by the Houthis, has carried out multiple strikes on rebel targets in Yemen, most recently on Sunday.
Emirates 24/7
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Emirates 24/7
Bahrain commends UAE's efforts in rescuing commercial ship crew in Red Sea
The Kingdom of Bahrain expressed its welcome and appreciation for the efforts of the United Arab Emirates in rescuing the crew of the commercial ship 'Magic Seas', after it was targeted in the Red Sea waters. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs commended the UAE's effective and responsible humanitarian response, as well as its swift coordination and fruitful cooperation with international maritime authorities, including the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). In a statement, carried by Bahrain News Agency (BNA), the Ministry also expressed Bahrain's strong condemnation and denunciation of the attack that targeted the commercial vessel and its civilian crew while transiting the Red Sea. It considered the incident a threat to international navigation routes, global trade, and the marine environment. The Ministry called for intensified regional and international efforts to safeguard maritime security, ensure the safety of waterways, and promote peace and stability in the region and the world, in line with international law and relevant international agreements. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
The National
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
US condemns attacks on ships in strategic Red Sea waters
The US on Wednesday condemned this week's attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, which reignited a crisis that had been dormant since a ceasefire between Washington and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in April. "The United States condemns the unprovoked Houthi terror attack on the civilian cargo vessels MV Magic Seas and MV Eternity C in the Red Sea, which resulted in the tragic loss of three mariners, with many others injured and the complete loss of the MV Magic Seas and its cargo," the US State Department said. The Houthis claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack on the Magic Seas but have not commented on the Eternity C assault that killed three people. "These attacks demonstrate the ongoing threat that Iran-backed Houthi rebels pose to freedom of navigation and to regional economic and maritime security," the State Department added. The Eternity C, a Liberia-flagged vessel, was attacked on Monday evening off the coast of Hodeida. At least three crew members were killed in the attack by sea drones and speedboats, an EU mission and a delegation from Liberia told a meeting of the UN shipping agency IMO on Tuesday. It came after Sunday's attack on a Greek-operated ship, when the Magic Seas was hit by gunfire, drones and missiles, also in the Red Sea. Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack. An official from UK maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday that Liberian-flagged bulk carrier the Magic Seas had sunk, a day after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said they struck the vessel with gunfire, rockets and explosive-laden remote controlled boats in the Red Sea. The Houthis have been attacking Israel and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023. But the latest incidents are rare assaults in the strategic waters near Yemen, coming two months after the US announced a truce with the Houthis aimed at halting attacks on ships in the region. Prior to the ceasefire, the US carried out heavy strikes on Yemen in response to the attacks on shipping lanes. 'The attack on the Magic Seas is not a shift in the position of the Houthis. Before the ceasefire announced by the US President in May, and even after it, the position remained that targeting Israel and ships dealing with it will continue,' a Yemeni source in Sanaa told The National. 'Every Israeli aggression against the Palestinian and Yemeni people will be met with direct strikes on Israel by the Houthis. This is the decision now, no matter the consequences,' added the Yemeni source. In response, Israel has been carrying out strikes on Yemen. The Yemeni port city of Hodeidah was struck on Sunday night, along with the ports of Ras Isa and Salif and the Ras Al Khatib power station, the Houthi-run Al Masirah television channel reported. The Israeli military said it 'struck and destroyed terror infrastructure belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime'. "The United States has been clear: we will continue to take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and commercial shipping from Houthi terrorist attacks," the statement said.
