A Liberian-flagged cargo ship came under fire from Houthi rebels Monday in the Red Sea, with two on board reported to be hurt and two others missing in an assault a day after the Yemen-based militant group sunk another vessel.
The attack on the Greek-owned bulk carrier Eternity C in the crucial maritime route came after the Houthis attacked the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas with drones, missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire Sunday, forcing its crew of 22 to abandon the vessel.
The two attacks and a round of Israeli airstrikes early Monday targeting the rebels raised fears of a renewed Houthi campaign against shipping that could again draw in U.S. and Western forces, particularly after President Donald Trump’s administration targeted the rebels in a major airstrike campaign.
The attacks come at a sensitive moment in the Middle East, as a possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war hangs in the balance, and as Iran weighs whether to restart negotiations over its nuclear program following American airstrikes targeting its most sensitive atomic sites during the Israel-Iran war in June.
The European Union anti-piracy patrol Operation Atalanta and the private security firm Ambrey reported the latest attack. They said the Eternity C had been heading north toward the Suez Canal when it came under fire by men in small boats and by bomb-carrying drones. The security guards on board also fired their weapons.
Operation Atalanta said the Eternity C had a crew of 21 Filipinos and one Russian, plus three security personnel. The E.U. force said the ship had not requested an escort.
The E.U. force also said the Houthis carried out the attack.
Moammar al-Eryani, the information minister with Yemen’s internationally recognized government that opposes the Houthis and is based in southern Yemen, also blamed the rebels for the Eternity C attack. The Houthis control the northern half of Yemen and its capital, Sanaa.
The attack on the Eternity C happened in the same area as the attack Sunday on the Magic Seas, about 60 miles southwest of the port of Hodeida, Yemen, which is held by the Houthis.
An armed security team on the vessel had returned fire against an initial attack of gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades, though the vessel later was struck by projectiles. Operation Atalanta, said 22 mariners had been on board the Magic Seas, with the United Arab Emirates saying an Abu Dhabi Ports vessel rescued the sailors.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ military spokesman, claimed Sunday’s attack on the Magic Seas. Saree later said the vessel sunk.
The Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel noted the later attack Monday, but the rebels didn’t claim that assault. They routinely wait hours or even days after an attack to do so.