Yemen’s Houthi forces are believed to be holding six of the 22 crew of a Greek ship that the militia attacked and sank in the Red Sea earlier this week, maritime security sources said on Thursday.
The Houthis had said on Wednesday they had rescued a number of the ship's crew, without providing further details, Reuters reported.
Maritime security sources said that rescuers pulled three more crew members and a security guard alive from the Red Sea on Thursday, a day after the Houthi militants sank the Greek ship Eternity C and said they were holding some of the crew still missing.
This brings the total number of those rescued so far to 10, including eight Filipino crew members, one Indian and one Greek security guard. The people found on Thursday had spent more than 48 hours in the water. Another 11 people are still missing.
"This fills us with more courage to continue to search for those missing, as the Greek vessel operator requested, and shows that our search plan was correct," said Nikos Georgopoulos, an official at the Greece-based maritime risk firm Diaplous.
Eternity C is the second Greek bulk carrier sunk this week by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia in Yemen. The attacks, which Houthis say are an act of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war, have ended months of calm in the area.
The United States' Mission in Yemen has accused the Houthis of kidnapping crew members and has called for their immediate release.
On Wednesday, the Houthis' military spokesperson said in a televised address that the Yemeni navy had "responded to rescue a number of the ship's crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location".
The Eternity C sank on Wednesday days after Houthis hit and sunk the Magic Seas, reviving a campaign launched in November 2023 that has seen more than 100 ships attacked.
Both of the vessels hit this week flew Liberian flags and were operated by Greek companies. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it went down.
Eternity C was first hit on Monday with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats. Four people are presumed dead, with maritime security sources saying they were killed in the attacks. If confirmed, the deaths would be the first fatalities in the area since June 2024.
Following a second attack on Tuesday morning, the crew were forced to jump into the water. Rescuers have been searching for them since Wednesday morning.
The vessel's operator, Cosmoship Management, has not responded to Reuters' requests for comment.
