Philippine authorities announced Tuesday that nine Filipino crew members held by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis are set to be released, AFP reported.
The men were survivors of the Liberian-flagged Eternity C, one of two cargo ships sunk in the Red Sea in July.
The Houthis had released video of the attack at the time, claiming they had “rescued” crew members and taken them to a safe location.
The Philippines’ foreign ministry said it received word from Oman that “nine Filipino seafarers of the ill-fated M/V Eternity C, held hostage by the Houthis in the Red Sea, will be released.”
The statement credited Omani mediation and said the men would be transferred from Sanaa to Oman before returning home.
A spokesman declined to provide a timeline or confirm if conditions were attached to the release.
The July sinkings of the Eternity C and Magic Seas ended a lull in Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which began after the Gaza war in October 2023. The Houthis claim their attacks target Israel-linked shipping in solidarity with Palestinian Arabs.
The disruption has forced many firms to avoid the Red Sea route, which normally carries about 12 percent of global trade.
As the Houthi attacks on vessels continued, the US launched strikes against the Houthis this past March, on the orders of President Donald Trump.
Trump later announced that the US would stop bombing the Houthis after the rebels communicated that they would stop attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Even though the Houthis halted their attack on US ships, they stressed that they would continue attacks on Israel and on ships linked to Israel, as they have done since the start of the conflict in Gaza.