ALL the 23 Filipino crew members of MT Sounion, which was hit by missiles from Houthi rebels off the Yemeni port of Hodeidah in the Red Sea on August 21, 2024, were rescued.
This was the assurance made by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Thursday night, August 22, 2024, saying the Filipino seafarers were already on their way to a safe port.
The DMW said in a statement that the good news was relayed to the agency by Philippine Ambassador to Bahrain Anne Jalando-on Louis and Philippine Defense Attaché to Bahrain Captain Gacusan. It was also confirmed by Defense Attache to Abu Dhabi Captain Romeo Marana.
The Greek-owned oil tanker that was carrying crude oil was adrift after it was hit by missiles in the afternoon of August 21.
EU Mission said that with the vessel carrying 150,000 tons of crude oil aboard, it represents a “navigational and environmental hazard.”
“It is essential that everyone in the area exercises caution and refrains from any actions that could lead to a deterioration of the current situation,” it said.
The crew members were rescued by the French Navy around 2:10 p.m. Thursday, August 22, said the DMW.
The Sounion is now at anchor in the Red Sea and no longer drifting, the European Union's Operation Aspides said.
Reports said that two of the 23 Filipino crew members were from Cebu, while the rest are from other areas in the country.
The DMW said that it will assist in the immediate repatriation of the seafarers along with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa).
“Upon arrival in the Philippines, the whole-of-government team consisting of the DMW-Owwa, DOH, DSWD and Tesda will provide psycho-social, financial, training and reintegration support to the seafarers and their families,” it added.
The assault on the Sounion, the most serious in the Red Sea in weeks, comes during a monthslong campaign by the Houthis targeting ships over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip that has disrupted a trade route through which $1 trillion in cargo typically passes each year.
The French military separately released an image of the Sounion, showing the blaze on board had been extinguished. It also published an image of its fire targeting the drone boat as well.
Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed the attack in a prerecorded statement late Thursday night, August 22, as well as another attempted attack Wednesday, August 21.
“The ship was accurately and directly hit while sailing in the Red Sea and is at risk of sinking, thanks to God,” he said.
In the attack on the Sounion, men on small boats first opened fire with small arms about 140 kilometers (90 miles) west of the rebel-held Yemeni port city of Hodeida, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. Private security on board the tanker returned fire.
Four projectiles also hit the ship, it added. It was not immediately clear if that meant drones or missiles.
The US, meanwhile, destroyed three Houthi drones in strikes Thursday, August 22, the American military’s Central Command said.
The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors.
Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets.
The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the United States or the UK to force an end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
As Iran threatens to retaliate against Israel over the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, the US military told the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to sail more quickly to the area. Early Thursday, the US military’s Central Command said the Lincoln had reached the Mideast’s waters, without elaborating.
America also has ordered the USS Georgia-guided missile submarine into the Mideast, while the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group was in the Gulf of Oman.
Additional F-22 fighter jets have flown into the region and the USS Wasp, a large amphibious assault ship carrying F-35 fighter jets, is in the Mediterranean Sea. (LMY/AP)