2 Pinoys killed, 2 critical in Houthi attack

MANILA, Philippines — Two Filipino seafarers were killed and two others seriously wounded in the latest attack by Houthi rebels on ships cruising the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, according to the Department of Migrant Workers.

“With great sadness, the Department of Migrant Workers confirms the deaths of two Filipino seafarers in the most recent attack by Houthi rebels on ships plying the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,” the DMW said in a statement released yesterday.

It said it opted to withhold the names and identities of the Filipino fatalities and two other victims for reasons of privacy.

The victims were among 15 Filipino crewmembers of the Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier True Confidence, which was on its way to Jeddah from China carrying steel when attacked.

The department extended its condolences to the family of the two Filipino fatalities. It also said it had already informed the families of the condition of the two Filipinos wounded in the attack.

The DMW assured the seafarers’ families of full support and assistance. The agency directed the ship’s manning agency and ship owner to ascertain the conditions of the rest of the ship’s crew, particularly the other Filipinos.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also expressed its condolences.

Based on information reaching the DMW, the other crewmen had been taken to a safe port. No details were given.

The DMW said it is coordinating with the principal ship owner and manning agency for the immediate repatriation of the remaining Filipino crew.

It also urged ship owners with ships navigating the volatile Red Sea – Gulf of Aden sea lanes to comply strictly with protocols for an expanded “high-risk areas” designation and to implement appropriate risk mitigation measures, such as rerouting vessels and deploying armed security personnel onboard.

The DFA said the remaining Filipino crewmembers of the True Confidence were brought by the Indian Navy to Djibouti.

The DFA said the Philippine embassy in Cairo, Egypt was sending a team to Djibouti to provide the Filipinos with the necessary assistance, including replacing their travel documents left or lost on the ship.

“The Philippine