The Guardian - 3/2/2024 4:32:07 PM - GMT (+3 )
Belize-flagged Rubymar was initially hit on 18 February as part of militants’ continued campaign over war in Gaza
A ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of their campaign over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
The sinking of the Rubymar comes as shipping through the crucial waterway for cargo and energy shipments moving from Asia and the Middle East to Europe has been affected by the Houthi attacks.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said on Saturday that it received a report of an attack 15 nautical miles west of Yemen’s port of Mokha, where the Houthis that control much of Yemen have been attacking shipping lanes.
“The crew took the vessel to anchor and were evacuated by military authorities,” UKMTO added in an advisory note.
Many ships have turned away from the route. The sinking of the Rubymar could lead to further detours and higher insurance rates put on vessels plying the waterway – potentially driving up global inflation and affecting aid shipments to the region.
The Belize-flagged Rubymar had been drifting northward after being attacked on 18 February in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a crucial waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government, as well as a regional military official, confirmed the ship had sunk. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as no authorisation was given to speak to journalists about the incident.
The Rubymar’s Beirut-based manager could not be immediately reached for comment.
Yemen’s exiled government, which has been backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, said the Rubymar sank late on Friday as stormy weather took hold over the Red Sea. The vessel had been abandoned for 12 days after the attack, although plans had been made to try to tow the ship to a safe port.
The Iran-backed Houthis, who claimed the ship sank almost immediately after the attack, did not acknowledge the ship’s sinking.
The US military’s Central Command had previously warned the vessel’s cargo of fertiliser, as well as fuel leaking from the ship, could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea.
Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war. Those vessels have included at least one with cargo bound for Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.
Despite more than a month of US-led airstrikes, Houthi rebels remain capable of launching significant attacks. That includes the attack on the Rubymar and the downing of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars.
The Houthis insist their attacks, which have enraged the wider Arab world, will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in Gaza.
However, in recent days, there has been a slowdown in attacks. The reason for that remains clear.
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