Maritime security firms launched a mission on Wednesday to evacuate the crew of the Greek-operated Eternity C vessel hit by Houthi rebels off Yemen two days ago, sources close to the mission told Reuters.
Eternity C, with 22 crew members — 21 Filipinos and one Russian — on board, was attacked with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from manned speed boats on Monday, the second assault by Houthis in a day after months of calm.
At least four crew members were killed and two were injured during the raid, maritime security sources have said, the first fatalities involving shipping in the Red Sea since June 2024.
The vessel’s operator, Cosmoship Management, has not responded to requests for confirmation of casualties.
Lifeboats were destroyed during the attack, and the crew has not been able to safely abandon the vessel.
“It is an operation to rescue the crew, some of whom are injured and need assistance, and collect the bodies of the seafarers who lost their lives,” said an official at maritime risk management firm Diaplous, which is involved in the project.
“We aim at a peaceful operation,” the official said, adding the mission was launched with British security firm Ambrey.
As they approached the vessel, part of the crew was in the water in life jackets, the official said.
Separately, Greek government officials have launched diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia, a key player in the region, to help salvage the vessel, according to sources.
The Red Sea, which passes Yemen’s coast, has long been a critical waterway for the world’s oil and commodities, but traffic has dropped since the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas massacre that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
Hours before the latest attack, the Houthis had claimed responsibility for a strike on another Liberia-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier, the MV Magic Seas, off southwest Yemen on Sunday, saying the vessel sank.
All crew on the Magic Seas were rescued by a passing merchant vessel and arrived safely in Djibouti on Monday, Djibouti authorities said.
The latest attacks in the Red Sea, along with a round of Israeli airstrikes early Monday targeting the rebels in response to their ballistic missile fire at Israel, raised fears of a renewed Houthi campaign against shipping that could again draw in US and Western forces, particularly after US President Donald Trump’s administration reached an agreement with the rebels in May.
The Houthis held their fire when a Gaza ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas in January 2025. By that point, they had fired over 40 ballistic missiles and dozens of attack drones and cruise missiles at Israel, including one that killed a civilian and wounded several others in Tel Aviv in July 2024, prompting Israel’s first strike in Yemen.
Since March 18, 2025, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have launched 58 ballistic missiles and at least 13 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short, and almost all of the others have been intercepted.