Philippine crew safe after Houthi missile attack in Red Sea

The 13 Filipino crew members of a ship damaged by missile attacks in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday are safe, the Philippine government said on Wednesday. The Greek merchant cargo ship flying the Marshall Islands flag was attacked by Houthi rebels on Tuesday while sailing near the Yemeni port city of Al Hudaydah.

A Yemeni coast guard official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least three missiles targeted the merchant ship. Laax at about 12:20 p.m. local time. “The bombing caused severe damage to the merchant ship,” the official said, adding that the crew made distress calls when the ship began to take on water.

The Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers confirmed that the shipping company’s local crewing agency informed them that the ship was continuing its journey to its next port of call. United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations also confirmed the attack, saying: “The crew is reportedly safe and the ship is proceeding to its next port of call.”

The Houthis, who control the strategic port city of Al Hudaydah, have not commented on the rocket attack. Since November last year, the Houthis have been attacking ships with alleged links to Israel in the Red Sea in support of the Palestinians in their ongoing conflict with Israel. This escalation has raised fears of a wider regional conflict, especially since the group has threatened to attack ships with links to Israel in the Mediterranean.

In response to the increasing risks, the Philippines last month banned the use of Filipino seafarers on passenger and cruise ships transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Philippines is a major supplier of maritime labor worldwide, accounting for nearly a fifth of the world’s 1.2 million seafarers.