29 Filipino Seafarers, Including One from Bohol, Rescued After Missile Attack in Yemen
Twenty-nine Filipino crew members of the Greek-owned oil tanker MT Sounion, including one from Bohol, were rescued after the vessel was attacked by a missile off the coast of Yemen.
The Filipino seafarers, who hail from various parts of the country, including Iloilo City, Cebu City, and Bohol, were on board the tanker when it was attacked. The crew members were reported to be safe and unharmed.
According to the Associated Press, Houthi rebels in Yemen are suspected of carrying out the attack on the Sounion, which was left abandoned in the waterway.
A French destroyer rescued the 29 crew members from the oil tanker, which was carrying a cargo of 150,000 tons of crude oil. The tanker had issued a warning of a "navigational and environmental hazard" due to the attack.
The French military released images of the Sounion, showing the fire on board the vessel, as well as a drone boat that was also damaged in the attack.
Arab News reported that the tanker and its crew were safe and headed to their next port of call.
The attack on the Sounion is the latest in a series of incidents targeting international shipping in the region. On Wednesday, the captain of another vessel, the SW North Wind I, reported five explosions near his ship off the coast of Aden.
The Houthi militants, who are allied with Iran, have launched several attacks on international shipping in the region since November in solidarity with the Palestinians in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.