Rescuers search for missing crew from Red Sea attack as US alleges Yemen rebels 'kidnapped' them

Key Points

• Houthi rebels targeted the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned Eternity C with gunfire and explosive drones in the Red Sea, killing at least three crew members and sinking the vessel.
• The U.S. Embassy in Yemen alleges the Houthis may have kidnapped some surviving sailors, while EU forces have rescued five Filipinos and one Indian out of the 22 crew.
• These attacks, including the recent sinking of the Magic Seas, mark an escalation by the Houthis tied to the Israel-Hamas war, complicating hopes for a Gaza ceasefire and U.S.-Iran nuclear talks.
• Philippine authorities are in close contact with families of the missing Filipino sailors, providing government support and updates on the ongoing search and rescue efforts.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rescuers found four more crew members Thursday who went missing after Yemen's Houthi rebels sank a ship in the Red Sea as the United States alleged the group may “have kidnapped” others on board.

The Houthis released dramatic footage of the sinking of the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned Eternity C, which the rebels targeted with gunfire and explosive drones for hours, killing at least three crew members.

The attack on the Eternity C, as well as the sinking of the bulk carrier Magic Seas after another attack Sunday, represent a new level of violence being employed by the Houthis after a months of holding their fire in a campaign they tie back to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, a new possible ceasefire in that war — as well as the future of talks between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s battered nuclear program — remain in the balance. The Houthis said that they fired a missile at Israel on Thursday morning, which the Israeli military said that it intercepted.

US warns Houthis may have ‘kidnapped’ survivors

A statement from the European Union naval mission in the Red Sea said the crew of the Eternity C included 22 sailors, among them 21 Filipinos and one Russian, as well as a three-member security team. Rescuers on Wednesday recovered five Filipinos and one Indian.

On Thursday, the EU force known as Operation Aspides said they found three more Filipinos, and a Greek national who was part of the ship's security team, bringing the total number of those recovered alive to 10.

At least three people also were killed during the hourslong attack on the ship, the EU force previously said, and their nationalities weren't immediately known. That leaves a dozen unaccounted for.

In footage released by the Houthis, a rebel can be purportedly heard on a VHF radio transmission offering those on board the ability to flee the sinking vessel. However, it wasn't clear if any more crew fled and what happened to them.

The Houthis said in a statement that their forces “responded to rescue a number of the ship’s crew, provide them with medical care and transport them to a safe location.” The statement offered no details on the number of the crew, their condition or where they were.

In a post late Wednesday on the X, the U.S. Embassy in Yemen — which has operated from Saudi Arabia for about a decade now — denounced the Houthis as having “kidnapped” the crew.

“After killing their shipmates, sinking their ship and hampering rescue efforts, the Houthi terrorists have kidnapped many surviving crew members of the Eternity C,” the embassy said. “We call for their immediate and unconditional safe release.”

The Houthis have held mariners in the past. After seizing a ship called the Galaxy Leader in November 2023, the rebels held the crew until January 2025.

Attacks draw condemnation and support for sailors

In the Philippines, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said that he has been leading an effort to reach out to the families of the missing Filipino sailors to update them on the search and rescue efforts.

“It’s human nature that one should be terribly worried and distraught about the situation,” Cacdac told The Associated Press by telephone. “It’s our role in government to be there for them in their utmost hour of need to ensure that not just government services, but throughout this hand-holding process, we will provide the necessary support.”

The Eternity C, flagged out of Liberia but owned by a Greek firm, likely had been targeted like the Magic Seas over its firm doing business with Israel. Neither vessel apparently requested an escort from the EU force.

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Jim Gomez contributed to this report from Manila, Philippines.