Conflicts & War

Houthis claim attack on British vessel off Yemen coast at risk of sinking

Sana’a, Feb 19 (EFE).- Houthi rebels on Monday claimed an attack against a British-owned vessel in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen, which is at risk of sinking

The vessel, bearing the flag of Belize, was severely damaged in the attack, although the crew was reportedly safe and had left the ship.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement that the insurgents’ naval forces carried out missile attacks on the British ship “RUBYMAR”, severely damaging the ship, which was now anchored and ran the risk of sinking in the Gulf of Aden.

Sarea stressed they would not hesitate in continuing more operations against all “hostile” targets in Yemen and in support of the Palestinian people in both the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.

Earlier, the British Navy had reported that based on information from the naval alliance led by the United States, the crew of the RUBYMAR had left the ship after the attack that occurred 35 miles south of Al Mokha in Yemen, in the strait of Bab al Mandab, which opens into the Red Sea.

According to maritime tracking portals, the vessel “RUBYMAR” had departed from the United Arab Emirates and was on its way to Bulgaria.

The attacked ship is known to be registered in the United Kingdom, operated by a company based in Lebanon and owned by a British company based in London.

It was the third attack in less than a week on a ship linked to the UK, which is participating with the United States in attacks against rebels in Yemen.

The European Union’s foreign ministers are expected Monday to approve Operation Aspides, the naval mission in the Red Sea to protect merchant ships from Houthi attacks, during its meeting in Brussels.

Since Nov. 19, the Houthis have launched about 30 attacks on merchant ships from different countries passing through the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, claiming that the ships either belonged to Israel or were headed to an Israeli port.

The tension in the area has caused the main shipping companies worldwide to continue adjusting their routes to avoid crossing through the Red Sea, a transit point of eight percent of the world trade in cereals, 12 percent in oil and eight percent in liquefied natural gas. EFE

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