Houthis release nine sailors seized in July Red Sea attack after Omani mediation

The Houthi movement in Yemen on Wednesday released a group of sailors who had been held since July following an attack on the Eternity Sea vessel in the Red Sea, an assault that killed at least four crew members and caused the ship to sink.

The Iranian-aligned group, which has repeatedly targeted commercial vessels during Israel’s genocide in Gaza, announced through its Al-Masirah Channel that the sailors had been received by Oman and were being transferred to the Sultanate.

According to the German Press Agency (dpa), the Houthis released nine Filipino crew members after mediation by Oman. The men had been detained since the group struck the ship last July, accusing it of breaching a Yemeni ban on shipping to Israeli ports.

The Houthis-allied Al-Masirah Channel reported that the Sana’a-based authorities handed over the sailors and that they were flown from Sana’a to Muscat aboard an aircraft sent by Oman.

Omani authorities did not immediately comment on the development. However, flight-tracking data analysed by the Associated Press showed that a Royal Air Force of Oman aircraft had landed in Sana’a earlier on Wednesday, indicating preparations for the transfer.