Manila [Philippines], July 10 (ANI): Six crew members of the Liberian-flagged cargo ship 'Eternity C', which sank in the Red Sea following a reported seadrone and speedboat attack by Houthi rebels on Monday, have been rescued, the European Union's naval mission.

In a statement on Wednesday, the European Union's Aspides naval mission said six people had been pulled from the sea. Operation Aspides is the EU' military operation in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf.

The Greek-owned vessel 'Eternity C' was carrying 22 crew members -- 21 Filipinos and one Russian -- when it was allegedly struck by drones and rocket-propelled grenades launched by Iran-backed Houthi militants off the coast of Yemen, the Philippine News Agency said.

At least four sailors were killed and 15 others were reported missing on Wednesday after the assault on the cargo ship, Reuters reported citing maritime officials.

The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines confirmed on Wednesday night that five of the 21 Filipino seafarers manning the 'Eternity C' ship were rescued, as per a report in the country's state media, PNA.

Philippines Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac was cited by the news outlet as saying, 'The shipowner has confirmed that the Eternity C sank, and at the same time, five crew members were rescued. They were in the water. The rescue team found them and rescued them. They are still looking for the rest.'

As per the Al Jazeera, the Houthis said the attack on the 'Eternity C' conducted on Monday was done using an unmanned boat and missiles, and was carried out in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The Iran-backed rebels released a video, which they said depicted their attack on the merchant vessel. The drone video showed explosions on the ship before it sank in the Red Sea.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO), run by the British military in its initial report, stated it had received several third-party reports about a merchant vessel being attacked by multiple rocket-propelled grenades from a small craft at 51NM west of Hudaydah in Yemen.

In an update today, the UK agency reported that they have been informed the vessel 'has sunk in position 1442N 04226E' and that a search and rescue operations are still ongoing.

They also advised other vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.

Meanwhile, the United States Mission in Yemen has accused the Houthis of kidnapping many surviving crew members from 'Eternity C' and has called for their immediate and unconditional safe release.

Monday's attack on the 'Eternity C' follows the attack on another vessel named 'Magic Seas' also Greek-owned and Liberian-flagged.

Reports have claimed that Houthis attacked 'Magic Seas' on Sunday with drones, missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire, forcing its crew of 22 to abandon the vessel. The rebels later claimed that they sank the 'Magic Seas' in the Red Sea.

The Houthis had begun targeting vessels, including those of Israel and the US, in the Red Sea soon after the Hamas terror group launched its attack on Israel, prompting retaliation by Israel, which continues as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has exacerbated regional tensions across West Asia.

The Houthis have repeatedly stated that their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians and have pledged to continue attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea until Israel ended its war on Gaza.

After the Israel-Hamas ceasefire collapsed in March 2025, US President Donald Trump's administration ramped up the US military campaign against the Houthis.

The Trump administration signed an agreement with the Houthis in May this year in which the militant group pledged not to target American ships in the Red Sea in return for a US commitment not to attack them.

The Red Sea is a vital maritime trade route and although Red Sea shipping has improved slightly in recent weeks, it remains below normal levels, with USD 1 trillion in annual trade typically flowing through the corridor. (ANI)