Filipino crew members unharmed in Red Sea missile attack.

The Philippine government confirmed on Wednesday that the 13 Filipino crew members aboard a Greek-owned commercial cargo ship, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, are safe after the vessel was damaged by missile attacks in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. The attack, carried out by Houthi rebels near the Yemeni port city of Al Hudaydah, targeted the merchant vessel Laax with at least three missiles, causing severe damage and prompting distress calls from the crew as the ship began taking on water.

According to reports from a Yemeni coast guard official, the crew members are safe and the vessel is continuing its voyage to its next port of call. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations also confirmed the attack, stating that the crew is unharmed and the ship is proceeding as planned. The Houthis, who control Al Hudaydah, have not commented on the incident, which is part of a series of attacks on ships with alleged Israeli links in the Red Sea since last year.

In response to the escalating risks in the region, the Philippines recently banned the deployment of Filipino seafarers on passenger and cruise ships transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. As a major supplier of maritime labor globally, providing nearly one-fifth of the world’s seafarers, the Philippines is taking measures to ensure the safety of its workers amid growing concerns of a broader regional conflict involving the Houthis and their threats against Israeli-linked ships in the Mediterranean.

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