Rescuers search for survivors after Houthi attack on cargo ship in the Red Sea

Rescuers launched a search Wednesday for survivors of a Liberian-flagged cargo ship that came under attack from Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, authorities said.

At least three mariners were killed and two were wounded.

The attack on the Greek-owned Eternity C follows the Iranian-backed Houthis attacking another vessel, the bulk carrier Magic Seas, on Sunday in the Red Sea, which they subsequently sank.

The assaults are the first Houthi attacks on shipping since late 2024 in the waterway that had begun to see more ships pass through in recent weeks.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, run by the British military, said in an advisory that “search and rescue operations commenced overnight” for those who had been aboard the Eternity C.

Five crew members so far had been rescued, the UKMTO said.

The ship’s status could not be immediately confirmed, though it had sustained “significant damage” and had lost all propulsion.

The bulk carrier had been heading north toward the Suez Canal when it came under fire by men in small boats and bomb-carrying drones Monday night.

The security guards on board fired their weapons. The European Union’s Operation Aspides and the private security firm Ambrey both reported those details.

While the Houthis haven’t claimed the attack — they can take days to do so— Yemen’s exiled government and the EU force blamed the rebels, as did the US State Department.

“These attacks demonstrate the ongoing threat that Iran-backed Houthi rebels pose to freedom of navigation and to regional economic and maritime security,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. “The United States has been clear: We will continue to take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and commercial shipping from Houthi terrorist attacks.”

The EU force offered the casualty information, saying one of the wounded crew lost his leg.

The crew remains stuck on board the vessel, which is now drifting in the Red Sea.