Houthis to release survivors of July Red Sea sinking, Philippine authorities say

Nine Filipino crew members of a cargo ship sunk by Yemen’s Houthis are set to be released by the Iran-backed terror group, Philippine authorities say.

The men were survivors of the Liberian-flagged Eternity C, one of two commercial vessels sunk within days of each other in the Red Sea in July.

The Houthis released a video of the attack on the ship at the time, saying they had “rescued” an unspecified number of the crew and taken them to a safe location.

The Philippines’ Foreign Ministry says it received word from Oman that the “nine Filipino seafarers of the ill-fated M/V Eternity C, held hostage by the Houthis in the Red Sea, will be released.”

The statement, which credits the efforts of the Omani government, says the men would first be transferred from Yemen’s Houthi-held capital of Sanaa to Oman before returning home.

A foreign affairs spokesman declines to provide a timeline for the release or say if it was bound by any conditions.

The July sinkings of the Eternity C and Magic Seas broke a months-long lull in Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which began after the start of the Gaza war with the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.

The attacks, which the Houthis say target Israel-linked shipping in solidarity with the Palestinians, have prompted many firms to avoid a route that normally carries about 12 percent of global trade.

Filipino sailors make up as much as 30% of the world’s commercial shipping force. The nearly $7 billion they sent home in 2023 accounted for about a fifth of remittances sent to the archipelago nation.