Houthis strike anew, 13 Pinoys cheat death

Terror attacks on merchant vessels have not relented despite the multinational operations to protect the strategic waterways near Israel as four missiles hit another ship with 13 Filipino crewmen on board.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has reported that Houthi rebels attacked the vessel on 28 May.

According to the shipping company’s local manning agency, the ship sustained damage but was able to continue its journey. The vessel was traversing the Yemeni coast near Hodeidah when the attack happened.

Apart from the Filipino seafarers, a Ukrainian seaman was among the crew.

The DMW has yet to reveal the name of the vessel that sailed on to its next port of call.

Meanwhile, the DMW said it is communicating with the shipping and manning agencies of the Filipino seafarers to monitor their safety and condition. The department is also contacting the families of the crew.

The local manning agency reported the incident to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

Houthi rebels have been carrying out attacks against international ships since November 2023.

According to the group, it is their way of supporting Palestinians amid the Israel-Gaza conflict.

In April, the DMW issued an advisory prohibiting the deployment of Filipino seafarers in “high-risk areas” and “war-like zones” as determined by the International Transport Workers Federation and the International Bargaining Forum (IBF).

Filipino seafarers are not allowed to work on passenger and cruise ships that will sail through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Five more areas considered as having “war-like” conditions were added to the IBF list. These are off the mainland Yemeni coast, including all ports and excluding the Maritime Security Transit Corridor in its entirety; the southern section of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden from the Yemeni coast stretching across to the Eritrea coast; the Sea of Azov and the Strait of Kerch; the Northern Black Sea Region; and all the ports in Ukraine.

Considerable damage

The vessel took “on water” after the missile strike, maritime security firm Ambrey said.

The ship was “targeted with three missiles,” Ambrey said, adding that a distress call said it “had sustained damage to the cargo hold and was taking on water.”

The distress call also reported that “the vessel was listing,” Ambrey added.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which is run by Britain’s Royal Navy, said on social media platform X that the ship reported “being hit by missiles” and had “sustained damage.”

“The crew is reported safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call,” UKMTO said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which came amid a campaign of drone and missile strikes against Israeli-linked shipping by Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels.

The rebels’ attacks, which they say are in support of the Palestinians, have prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of global trade.

Since January, the United States and Britain have launched retaliatory strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the attacks on shipping.

The strikes have done little to deter the Houthis, who have vowed to target US and British vessels as well as all ships heading to Israeli ports.

On Monday, US military forces destroyed a drone over the Red Sea launched from a terrorist-controlled area of Yemen, the US Central Command said in a statement.

In March, a ship loaded with fertilizer sank in the Gulf of Aden after it was damaged by missiles launched by the Houthi rebels.

In November, the Houthis seized the vehicle transporter Galaxy Leader and its crew, which included Filipinos. The crew are still being held although they are reported to be in good condition.

Speaking from the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, the prime minister of Yemen’s internationally recognized government criticized the attacks on Red Sea shipping.

“The Houthis are exploiting” the Palestinian cause to launch strikes, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak said, adding that threats to Red Sea shipping predated the Gaza war.