The ambassadors of Japan and Germany condoled with the families of two Filipino seafarers killed by a Houthi missile strike in the Gulf of Aden on March 6.
M/V True Confidence (Photo courtesy of United States Central Command / Facebook)
Japanese Ambassador-designate Endo Kazuya wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Japan “stands in solidarity” with the Philippines concerning the recent incident.
“Our sincere condolences to the families of the two Filipino seafarers lost to a tragic missile attack. Deep respect for their commitment abroad,” he wrote.
“(Japan) is steadfast in partnering with (the Philippines) to foster lasting peace and stability worldwide,” he added.
German Ambassador to the Philippines Andreas Pfaffernoschke also sent his sympathies via X.
“(Germany) expresses its sincere condolences to the families of the victims. With the (the Philippines) and all partners we aim to achieve a peaceful and enduring solution to this conflict,” he said.
A report from the United States Central Command said that the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier M/V True Confidence was hit by a Houthi-launched anti-ship ballistic missile at around 11:30 a.m. on March 6 while in the Gulf of Aden.
Officials also confirmed the deaths of two Filipinos as three more were injured.
True Confidence was carrying 20 crew members, including 15 Filipinos, when the missile struck it.
The attack, which killed a total of three, is the first fatal strike by the Yemeni rebel group since it began attacking commercial ships in response to the Israel-Hamas war.
Houthi is an ally of Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Earlier, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that some 13 Filipinos and other crew members were rescued by the Indian Navy and were brought to Djibouti.