A ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels sank in the Red Sea days after taking on water, officials said Saturday. It was the first ship to be completely destroyed in an operation by Iran-backed militants targeting Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
of sinking ruby lake It comes as key waterways transporting goods and energy from Asia and the Middle East to Europe have been affected by Houthi attacks.
Many ships have veered off course. The sinking could lead to further detours and higher insurance rates for ships plying the waterway, which could push up global inflation and affect aid shipments to the region.
Flying the Belize flag ruby lake On February 18, the ship drifted north after being hit by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait (an important waterway connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden).
Yemen’s internationally recognized government and a regional military official confirmed the ship had sunk. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters about the incident.
this ruby lakeThe Beirut manager could not immediately be reached for comment.
Yemen’s government-in-exile has been backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015. ruby lake It sank late Friday as stormy weather gripped the Red Sea. The ship had been abandoned for 12 days after the attack, but plans were made to try to tow it to a safe port.
The Houthis falsely claimed the ship had sunk almost immediately after the attack, but did not immediately acknowledge the sinking.
The U.S. Central Command previously warned that the fertilizer carried by the ship and the fuel leaking from the ship may cause ecological damage to the Red Sea.
Satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press from PBC Planet Labs show smaller ships along ruby lake Wednesday. It’s unclear who owns the ships.
Private security company Ambrey reported separately on Friday a case involving ruby lake.
“A number of Yemenis were reportedly injured in a security incident on Friday,” Ambre said. It did not elaborate on what the incident involved, and no side in Yemen’s years-long war has claimed a new attack on the ship.
Since November, rebels have repeatedly attacked ships in and around the Red Sea as part of Israel’s war with Hamas. At least one of the ships carried cargo to Iran, the Houthis’ main financier, and an aid ship later headed to Houthi-controlled territory.
Although U.S.-led airstrikes have been underway for more than a month, the Houthi rebels remain capable of launching major attacks, including against ruby lake and the downing of a U.S. drone worth tens of millions of dollars. The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel halts combat operations in the Gaza Strip, angering the wider Arab world and giving the Houthis international recognition.
However, attacks have slowed in recent days. The reason for this is unclear.
