The Philippines says it hopes nine Filipino sailors captured by the Houthis in Yemen since the July attack will be released.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have released sailors captured after an attack on a cargo ship in the Red Sea in July killed at least four people and sank the ship.
The Houthis, who have been targeting ships during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, said via its Al Masirah TV news channel that Oman had detained the sailors, who were flying to the sultanate on Wednesday.
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Oman did not immediately confirm the release. However, a Royal Oman Air Force jet landed in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Wednesday, according to flight-tracking data. Following the Houthi announcement, the aircraft was tracked leaving Yemeni airspace.
The Philippines said on Tuesday it expected nine Filipino sailors captured by the Houthis following the attack to be released. The Foreign Ministry in Manila described the sailors as “held hostage by the Houthis” since the July attack.
The Houthis did not immediately provide information on the nationalities of those released. It described his forces rescuing the people after abandoning the crippled ship after the attack.
Houthis hold ceasefire during Gaza ceasefire
Al Masira published a photo on Wednesday of six people wearing black and white checked keffiyeh scarves, often associated with Palestinians, without any expressions.
Eleven people also went missing in an attack on the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Eternity Sea.
The Houthis have targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones in their campaign, sinking four ships. At least nine sailors have been killed in these attacks, as a crew member on one of the targeted ships, the Minervagech, died of wounds in October.
The Houthis had previously held the sailors for several months and it was not immediately clear why they had released the sailors now.
The Houthis halted their attacks on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden during the first ceasefire in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. They later became the target of a weeks-long campaign of airstrikes ordered by US President Donald Trump before declaring a ceasefire with the rebels.
The current Gaza ceasefire has seen the Houthis regain their fire.
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