Liberia Shipping Delegation Reveals Fatal Attack on Greek-operated Cargo Ship Eternity C in Red Sea
A Liberia ship delegation disclosed on Tuesday at a United Nations meeting that two crew members on board the Liberian-flagged cargo ship “Eternity C,” operated by a Greek company, were killed in an attack by Houthi militants’ drones and boats near Yemen waters on Monday night. This incident marks the second attack within one day after months of calm in the region.
The Red Sea serves as a crucial passage for global oil and commodity transport. However, since November 2023, Iran-backed Houthi militants have been targeting commercial vessels, claiming to show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza conflict and confront Israel, leading to a significant decline in maritime traffic in the area.
The incident involving Eternity C is the first fatal shipping attack in the Red Sea region since June 2024 and brings the total number of seafarers killed in attacks in the Red Sea to six.
Just hours before the latest attack, Houthi militants claimed responsibility for another assault on a Greek-operated cargo ship “Magic Seas,” registered under the Liberian flag, off the southwestern coast of Yemen on Sunday, stating that the vessel had sunk. The ship’s operator stated that they had not independently verified the sinking of the vessel.
Authorities in Djibouti reported that all crew members of the Magic Seas were rescued by a passing commercial vessel and safely arrived in Djibouti on Monday.
Houthi militants are yet to comment on the incident involving the Eternity C.
During a meeting at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London this week, the Liberian delegation expressed, “Amid the shock and sorrow brought by the attack on the Magic Seas, we received reports of the attack on the Eternity C, which was extremely violent and resulted in the death of two crew members.”
Since November 2023, Houthi militants have launched hundreds of drones and missiles at vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting commercial activities in the region. The organization claims their targets are ships associated with Israel.
Despite reaching a ceasefire agreement with the United States in May this year, Houthi militants have reiterated their intention to continue attacking ships they claim are linked to Israel.
Both the Eternity C and Magic Seas belong to commercial fleets, with their sister ships having previously docked at Israeli ports over the past year.
Cosmoship Management, the operator of the Eternity C, and maritime security sources informed Reuters that at least two other crew members were injured, noting that the vessel was listing.
According to Jacob Larsen, Chief Security and Safety Officer at the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), since the initial Houthi attacks in the Red Sea in 2023, maritime traffic in the region has decreased by approximately 50% from normal levels.
Houthi militants launched two attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea this week, marking the first known round of attacks by the organization in international waters this year.
This article is based on reports from Reuters.