Two crew killed in attack on cargo ship in Red Sea

Two crew members of a Liberian-flagged cargo ship have been killed in an attack in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, Liberia says.

A Liberian representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said the Eternity C was “attacked horribly… causing the death of two seafarers”.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said a vessel had “sustained significant damage and lost all propulsion” after being hit by rocket-propelled grenades fired from small boats.

Maritime security sources told Reuters news agency that the Eternity C was now adrift and listing, and that the 22-strong crew was made up of 21 Filipinos and one Russian.

There was no immediate claim by any group, but it came a day after Yemen’s Houthi movement said it had launched missiles and sea drones at another Liberian-flagged cargo ship, Magic Seas, and forced the crew to abandon it.

The US embassy in Yemen accused the Houthis of targeting the Eternity C, describing it as the Iran-backed group’s “most violent attack to date” on a commercial vessel in the region.

Read more: BBC