Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis released video footage Monday of missing crew members from the Eternity C cargo ship, which the Yemeni militants sank earlier this month, claiming in an accompanying statement to have "rescued" the mariners.
Earlier this month, the Houthis struck the Magic Seas and Eternity C cargo ships in the Red Sea, after a months-long hiatus in a campaign against maritime traffic they accuse of having links to Israel, launched over the Gaza war.
The European Union's Operation Aspides naval task force told AFP that 15 out of the 25 crew were still missing, with four of them presumed dead.
In the video, the Houthis showed pictures of 10 crew members they said they had "rescued."
"Eleven crew members were rescued at sea, including two injured who were provided with medical care. One body, found aboard the ship before it sank, was transported to the hospital morgue," the Houthis said in their statement.
Last week, Human Rights Watch said the Yemeni militants were unlawfully detaining the crew and that their attacks on shipping amounted to war crimes.
The United States has accused the Houthis of kidnapping the missing crew members.
AFP
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