The security situation in Red Sea shipping remains tense.
On July 8, the British maritime security company Ambrey reported that a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier was attacked by a combined assault of speedboats and drones approximately 49 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, Yemen. The incident left two crew members injured and two missing. The ship’s main engine was damaged, leaving it without power, and it is currently adrift.
The vessel was later identified as the Greek-managed bulk carrier “Eternity C,” operated by Cosmoship Management. The ship management company told the media that armed security personnel were onboard during the attack, but they were unable to prevent it. The bridge suffered a direct hit, disrupting communications and making it difficult to contact the crew.
AIS data provided by COSCO SHIPPING Technology’s ship-tracking platform “ShipVision” to Maritime Focus shows that at the time of the incident, the “Eternity C” (36,830 DWT, built in 2012) was en route from Berbera, Somalia, to Jeddah Port.
Ambrey did not disclose details of the attack, but maritime security sources previously stated that the ship had sent a distress signal after the assault, possibly due to a drone strike. Cosmoship added that two crew members remain missing, and search and rescue operations, along with investigations, are ongoing.
Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech noted that the operator of the “Eternity C” has multiple vessels that have previously called at Israeli ports, including Haifa Port, which falls under the so-called “long-range blockade” by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Vanguard specifically mentioned the “HSL Nike,” which docked in Haifa last month, and the “Faith,” which called at Ashdod Port in November last year. The Houthis have previously threatened to target the interests of shipowners whose vessels have visited Israeli ports.
Notably, earlier the same day, Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced that they had sunk the bulk carrier “Magic Seas” in the Red Sea. According to their statement, the ship was hit by a combined attack involving rockets, gunfire, and a remotely detonated explosive boat. This marks the third vessel sunk by the Houthis since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict in 2023.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree stated on social media that the group had issued warnings to the “Magic Seas” and “allowed” the crew to disembark. He claimed the attack was carried out because the shipping company behind the vessel had dispatched three ships to Israel, one of which had entered Israeli waters just last week.
