NEW DELHI: A ship targeted by Houthi rebels from Yemen has sunk in the Red Sea after sustaining damage over several days. This marks the first instance of a vessel being completely destroyed in connection with the Houthi campaign linked to Israel’s conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to officials.
The Rubymar, having been targeted on February 18 in the strategically significant Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, was drifting northward.
The sinking of the ship was confirmed by Yemen’s internationally recognised government and a regional military official. The official, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared the information as it had not yet been authorised for public disclosure.
The Beirut-based manager of the Rubymar could not be reached for an immediate comment.
The exiled government of Yemen, supported by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, reported that the Rubymar sank on late Friday due to adverse weather conditions in the Red Sea. Following the attack, the vessel had remained abandoned for 12 days, with initial considerations of towing it to a secure port.
The Iran-backed Houthis, who had claimed that the ship sank almost immediately after the attack, did not promptly acknowledge the actual sinking of the ship.
The Rubymar, having been targeted on February 18 in the strategically significant Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, was drifting northward.
The sinking of the ship was confirmed by Yemen’s internationally recognised government and a regional military official. The official, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared the information as it had not yet been authorised for public disclosure.
The Beirut-based manager of the Rubymar could not be reached for an immediate comment.
The exiled government of Yemen, supported by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, reported that the Rubymar sank on late Friday due to adverse weather conditions in the Red Sea. Following the attack, the vessel had remained abandoned for 12 days, with initial considerations of towing it to a secure port.
The Iran-backed Houthis, who had claimed that the ship sank almost immediately after the attack, did not promptly acknowledge the actual sinking of the ship.
