DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have released eleven international mariners who had been detained since July following a deadly attack on the commercial vessel Eternity C in the Red Sea. The seafarers, comprising nationals from India and the Philippines, were transferred to Omani custody on Wednesday amid ongoing regional tensions.
The release operation involved a Royal Oman Air Force jet that landed in Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital, before transporting the mariners to Muscat. Omani authorities confirmed receiving the individuals “in preparation for their return to their home countries” and released photographs showing diplomats from both nations greeting the arrivals.
This development comes despite contradictory narratives regarding the mariners’ status. While the Philippines Foreign Ministry had previously characterized them as “held hostage,” the Houthi leadership maintained the men were “guests, not detainees” who had been rescued after abandoning their damaged vessel. Notably, the rebels’ media channels displayed images of only ten individuals, leaving the whereabouts of the eleventh mariner temporarily unverified.
The July attack that precipitated this captivity resulted in four fatalities and the eventual sinking of the Eternity C. This incident forms part of a broader pattern of maritime aggression, with Houthi forces having targeted over 100 ships through missile and drone strikes since commencing their campaign, resulting in at least nine mariner deaths and four sunken vessels.
The timing of this release remains strategically ambiguous, occurring during a period of reduced hostilities following the implementation of a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict. Previous Houthi ceasefires have similarly correlated with pauses in their maritime offensive operations.