Houthis Claim to Hold Crew From Greek-Operated Ship Sunk in Red Sea
Yemen’s Houthi forces claim to be holding crew members from the Eternity C, a Greek-operated, Liberian-flagged cargo ship they attacked and sank earlier this month in the Red Sea.
In a statement on Monday, the Houthis said: “Eleven crew members were rescued at sea, including two injured, who were provided with medical care. One body, found aboard the ship before it sank, was transported to the hospital morgue.”
The group released video footage showing seafarers, mostly believed to be Filipinos, whom they claim to have “rescued,” being interviewed after receiving medical treatment.
In the video, crew members said they were unaware of the Houthi-imposed maritime ban on vessels bound for Israeli ports. They said the ship was en route to Israel’s Port of Eilat to load fertilizer.
When asked what message they had for companies still trading with Israel, one hostage said: “Please stop your trading or any transaction to Israel because Red Sea is safe, but if you have any transaction or trading to Israel you will get in a problem.”
Toward the end of the video, two sailors are shown speaking with their mothers by phone. The footage concludes with all the hostages facing the camera and saying in unison, “We are sorry, Palestinians.”
SOFX could not independently verify the footage.
Earlier reports from the EU’s Operation Aspides naval task force indicated that 15 of the Eternity C’s 25 crew members were missing, with four presumed dead.
The Eternity C, a Liberian-flagged cargo ship, was the second Greek-operated vessel to sink off Yemen this month following Houthi attacks involving sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades. Just days earlier, the Magic Seas, another Greek-operated vessel, sank after a similar assault.
