Yemen's Houthi militia, widely believed to be supported by Iran, has reportedly captured at least six crew members from a sunken Greek-operated ship in the Red Sea, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing maritime sources.
The militia group claimed on Wednesday that they had rescued several members of the ship's crew, but gave no further details.
The seafarers were aboard one of the vessels attacked in a fresh wave of maritime assaults by the Houthis this week.
The Houthis sank two commercial ships and killed multiple crew members during three consecutive days of attacks, marking one of the most aggressive escalations in the Red Sea since their maritime campaign began in late 2023.
One of the targeted vessels, the Eternity C, a commodity carrier, sank on Wednesday morning, two days after it was first struck, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The European Union's naval force confirmed that six crew members were rescued, but 19 remain missing, including at least three fatalities, according to a person with direct knowledge of the incident.
Another vessel, the Magic Seas, a larger Greek-owned bulk carrier, was also attacked and later sunk. Both ships came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades and small arms, Bloomberg reported, citing distress call logs and military sources.
'Disregard for human life', say shipowners
“It was extensive and with complete disregard for human life,” said Michael Bodouroglou, CEO of Stem Shipping, which owns the Magic Seas.
“The crew was taking fire indiscriminately. There were rockets that were fired in the accommodation, bullets in the accommodation and the bridge.”
While the crew of the Magic Seas was eventually rescued by a passing ship before the Houthis destroyed the vessel, the crew of the Eternity C has not all been accounted for.
The U.S. Embassy in Yemen stated that the Houthis had kidnapped “many surviving crew members” and called for their immediate and unconditional release.
Houthi strategy sharpens, Red Sea traffic remains risky
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), part of the Combined Maritime Forces in Bahrain, told Bloomberg that both the Eternity C and Magic Seas were linked to ships that had recently called at Israeli ports, potentially explaining why they were targeted.
However, the parameters of the Houthi threat remain unclear, Bloomberg noted.
These latest incidents double the number of vessels sunk by the Houthis since the start of their Red Sea campaign. Previously, they sank the Tutor in June 2023 and the Rubymar earlier that year.
According to Corey Ranslem, CEO of Dryad Global, a maritime intelligence firm, the recent escalation appears to reflect a more "ruthless" approach.
“These guys are scared to death,” Ranslem said, referring to seafarers. “They’re not military people; they are seafarers.”
The attacks have renewed fears about the safety of shipping in the Red Sea, where traffic has already dropped by about 70% since the Houthis began their campaign in protest of the war in Gaza.
Shipowners now face the tough decision of whether to risk the Suez Canal route or divert around Africa, significantly increasing fuel costs and travel times.
While Stem Shipping had briefly resumed transits through the Suez following a temporary ceasefire declared in May, Bodouroglou told Bloomberg the company would now be “very skeptical” of continuing.
(With inputs from Reuters, Bloomberg)
The militia group claimed on Wednesday that they had rescued several members of the ship's crew, but gave no further details.
The seafarers were aboard one of the vessels attacked in a fresh wave of maritime assaults by the Houthis this week.
The Houthis sank two commercial ships and killed multiple crew members during three consecutive days of attacks, marking one of the most aggressive escalations in the Red Sea since their maritime campaign began in late 2023.
One of the targeted vessels, the Eternity C, a commodity carrier, sank on Wednesday morning, two days after it was first struck, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The European Union's naval force confirmed that six crew members were rescued, but 19 remain missing, including at least three fatalities, according to a person with direct knowledge of the incident.
Another vessel, the Magic Seas, a larger Greek-owned bulk carrier, was also attacked and later sunk. Both ships came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades and small arms, Bloomberg reported, citing distress call logs and military sources.
'Disregard for human life', say shipowners
“It was extensive and with complete disregard for human life,” said Michael Bodouroglou, CEO of Stem Shipping, which owns the Magic Seas.
“The crew was taking fire indiscriminately. There were rockets that were fired in the accommodation, bullets in the accommodation and the bridge.”
While the crew of the Magic Seas was eventually rescued by a passing ship before the Houthis destroyed the vessel, the crew of the Eternity C has not all been accounted for.
The U.S. Embassy in Yemen stated that the Houthis had kidnapped “many surviving crew members” and called for their immediate and unconditional release.
Houthi strategy sharpens, Red Sea traffic remains risky
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), part of the Combined Maritime Forces in Bahrain, told Bloomberg that both the Eternity C and Magic Seas were linked to ships that had recently called at Israeli ports, potentially explaining why they were targeted.
However, the parameters of the Houthi threat remain unclear, Bloomberg noted.
These latest incidents double the number of vessels sunk by the Houthis since the start of their Red Sea campaign. Previously, they sank the Tutor in June 2023 and the Rubymar earlier that year.
According to Corey Ranslem, CEO of Dryad Global, a maritime intelligence firm, the recent escalation appears to reflect a more "ruthless" approach.
“These guys are scared to death,” Ranslem said, referring to seafarers. “They’re not military people; they are seafarers.”
The attacks have renewed fears about the safety of shipping in the Red Sea, where traffic has already dropped by about 70% since the Houthis began their campaign in protest of the war in Gaza.
Shipowners now face the tough decision of whether to risk the Suez Canal route or divert around Africa, significantly increasing fuel costs and travel times.
While Stem Shipping had briefly resumed transits through the Suez following a temporary ceasefire declared in May, Bodouroglou told Bloomberg the company would now be “very skeptical” of continuing.
(With inputs from Reuters, Bloomberg)
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