Houthi rebels release footage of attack on Magic Seas ship in Red Sea VIDEO

Yemen's Houthi movement, known as Ansar Allah, has released footage purportedly showing the targeting and eventual sinking of the cargo vessel Magic Seas in the Red Sea.

The high-resolution video, broadcasted on July 8, captures what appears to be the Yemeni Naval Forces issuing repeated radio warnings to the ship’s crew, instructing them to halt their course and warning of potential consequences if they continued, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

According to the footage, the vessel did not alter its course despite the warnings. Moments later, the video shows what appears to be an unmanned boat striking the ship, setting it on fire. A second boat reportedly followed, hitting the ship again. Audio clips in the video include what are said to be distress calls from the ship’s crew following the attack.

The footage also includes images of armed individuals boarding the vessel before it was ultimately destroyed.

The Magic Seas incident marks a significant escalation in Houthi operations against maritime traffic in the Red Sea. The group has previously stated its intent to target such ships in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Earlier, a Liberian-flagged cargo ship also reportedly sank after coming under attack by Houthi forces in the same area.

The series of attacks comes amid heightened tensions in the region. A potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains under negotiation, while Iran is considering whether to return to talks over its nuclear program following a wave of US airstrikes in June that targeted key Iranian nuclear facilities during the Israel-Iran escalation.

The European Union’s anti-piracy mission, Operation Atalanta, and the maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed the most recent attack. They reported that the Eternity C, a vessel sailing under the Liberian flag, came under fire while en route north to the Suez Canal. The attack involved small boats and explosive-laden drones, with on-board security personnel returning fire in defense.

Operation Atalanta stated that the Eternity C had a crew of 21 Filipino nationals and one Russian, along with three private security guards. The vessel had not requested an escort through the high-risk area, according to the EU mission.

By Sabina Mammadli