Three crew dead in attack on ship off Yemen as Red Sea crisis reignites

Vessel attacked by sea drones and speedboats

The Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Eternity C in Split, Croatia in January 2023. AP

Three crew members of a Greek-operated bulk carrier have been killed in an attack by sea drones and speedboats off Yemen, an EU mission and a delegation from Liberia told a meeting of the UN shipping agency IMO on Tuesday.

The Eternity C, a Liberia-flagged vessel, was attacked on Monday evening off the coast of Hodeidah, maritime monitors reported. It was the second Red Sea attack in 24 hours after a recent period of relative calm.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), run by the British Navy, said the ship sustained significant damage and lost propulsion after being hit by five rocket grenades.

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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.

Previously, the Houthis relied on missiles, single-use drones or occasionally boat-launched rockets. Now, they have wired these elements into a multipronged “swarm” approach, with surface boats, aerial drones, missiles, and firearms all converging on a single target.

There seem to be complaints of no naval backup in the area when the ships were attacked. In the absence of military assets in the Red Sea, private security guards stand between the Houthis and seafarers, said Joshua Hutchinson, managing director of intelligence and risk at maritime security firm Ambrey.

“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.

On the latest assault, UK-based security firm Ambrey said a "Liberia-flagged bulk carrier was approached and attacked by two skiffs and unmanned aerial vehicles while transiting northbound in the Red Sea".

"Two crew members were reportedly injured and a further two crew members were missing," it had earlier said. The UKMTO initially said it received reports of an incident 94 kilometres west of Hodeidah.

The toll was later updated to three killed, according to the European Union Operation Aspides.

The Liberian-flagged vessel Magic Seas came under attack in the Red Sea on Sunday. AP

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.

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 Kanatib 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”.

“Among the targets were the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salif,” the military said. It was the Israeli army's first attack on Yemen in about a month. The army also hit the Galaxy Leader ship docked at Ras Isa port, which was seized by the Iran-backed Houthis in late 2023.

Ambrey said early on Tuesday it had observed imagery that confirmed damage to concrete docks at Hodeidah following the Israeli strikes.

Additionally, two Barbados-flagged bulk carriers are thought to have suffered blast damage as a result of the attacks, Ambrey said in an advisory note, adding no injuries among the crews had been reported.

A UAE rescue mission brought the 22 crew members to safety.