3 killed in first Houthi Red Sea ship attacks since June
Rescue operations began overnight and continue into Wednesday in attempts to find surviving crewmembers of the MV Eternity C – five have been rescued so far
The number of crewmembers killed in the attack on the Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged shipping carrier MV Eternity C in the Red Sea on Monday rose to three on Tuesday, with two others reported wounded.
Rescue operations began overnight and continue into Wednesday in attempts to find surviving crewmembers. Five have been rescued so far, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center told ABC News.
The cargo ship was attacked by sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from manned speedboats, maritime security firms said, and though not yet confirmed to have sunk, was reported "significantly damaged."
The attack came the day after another Greek-owned ship, the MV Magic Seas, was attacked and sunk in the same area by the Houthis in the maritime strait. The 22-member crew on the Magic Seas were all rescued by a passing merchant vessel.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for this attack that took place off the coast of Yemen, though only hours earlier, they had taken credit for the previous day's assault.
In the meantime, Yemen's exiled government and the EU, as well as the US State Department, have already blamed the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The two consecutive attacks were the first since June, after a months-long silence that followed the start of the US-Houthi ceasefire in May.
The ceasefire came after the US launched a campaign of air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the ongoing cargo shipping attacks.
The Red Sea is a major keypoint in international trade, which the Houthi militia attacks have been impacting since 2023, claiming to be acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
This resurgence in activity occurred during crucial days of ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.