Liberia said during an International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting that two crew members had been killed in an attack on Liberia-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier Eternity C
A second bulker has come under attack in the Red Sea in as many days in what Greek maritime security firm Diaplous described as “a repetitive deliberate and co-ordinated militant operation, likely executed by Houthi-aligned forces”.
The attack killed two seafarers on board Liberia-flagged, Greek-managed Handysize bulk carrier Eternity C, and has left the vessel adrift and under continued attack, according to UK-based maritime security firm Ambrey.
“Ambrey received information that the bulk carrier had lost propulsion. The vessel was reportedly under continuous attack by skiffs in the vicinity,” the firm’s update from 10:25 UK time said.
Liberia’s representative to IMO, international human rights lawyer Robert Wilmot Kpadeh, confirmed in a statement to IMO’s council that two of the Cosmoship Shipmanagement-managed vessel’s crew had been killed.
“While Liberia was processing the shock and the grief of the attack onMagic Seas, we received a report [yesterday] evening that Eternity [C] has been attacked, attacked horribly, and causing the death of two seafarers. We want to express our condolences to the families and send our prayers to them. We also want to reemphasise that it is totally unacceptable, unwarranted and illogical for ships to be attacked on political grounds,” Mr Kpadeh told the UN’s specialised agency for maritime regulation.
In the wake of the renewed attacks in the Red Sea, IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez called the attacks deplorable and underscored the victims of the attacks and their environmental impacts are primarily innocent civilians.
“After several months of calm, the resumption of deplorable attacks in the Red Sea constitutes a renewed violation of international law and freedom of navigation. Innocent seafarers and local populations are the main victims of these attacks and the pollution they cause. Constructive dialogue is the solution to resolving ongoing geopolitical crises affecting seafarers and international shipping,” the secretary-general said.
In addition to the skiffs involved, Diaplous said the assault on 36,800-dwtEternity C involved at leasttwo drones, four rocket-propelled grenades and “intense firing”.
At the time of the attack, Eternity C was transiting northbound the southern Red Sea, according to Diaplous, and the firm said, while the vessel does not have direct ties to Israeli interests, its targeting was “likely linked to the operator’s or affiliated vessels’ previous port calls at Israeli ports”.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched airstrikes on three of Yemen’s ports and a power plant as well as the hijacked vehicle carrier Galaxy Leader in recent days.
On 7 July, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree’s social media account on X posted that the bulk carrier targeted by Houthis in a 6 July attack, Magic Seas has sunk “completely in the depths of the sea after our armed forces targeted it in response to the company that owns it, repeated violations of the ban on entry to the ports of occupied Palestine”.
