FORCES of Yemen’s Houthi-led government attacked a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the Red Sea, killing three mariners and wounding two others, a European Union naval force said on Tuesday.

The attack on the Greek-owned Eternity C follows the Yemenis attacking another vessel, the bulk carrier Magic Seas, on Sunday in the Red Sea, which subsequently sank.

The assaults are the first Yemeni attacks on shipping since late 2024 on the waterway that had begun to see more ships pass through in recent weeks.

The bulk carrier had been heading north toward the Suez Canal when it came under fire by men in small boats and by bomb-carrying drones on Monday night. The security guards on board fired their weapons. The crew later abandoned the attacked vessel.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said: “The United States has been clear: We will continue to take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and commercial shipping from Houthi terrorist attacks.”

On Tuesday night, the Yemenis released footage of gunmen storming the ship before planting explosives, which sank the abandoned vessel.

The United Nations condemned the Yemeni attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and called on the rebels to comply with UN security council resolutions demanding an immediate halt to all attacks.

“We continue to be very worried and concerned about the escalation that we’re seeing,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

The Yemenis have been launching missile and drone attacks against US and Israeli-linked shipping in the region in what they describe as an effort to end Israel’s genocidal attacks against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Yemenis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two and killing at least four sailors. Their campaign has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion (around £800 million) of goods move through it annually.