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CAIRO (AP) — The U.S. military said Saturday that an attack by Yemeni Houthi rebels on a Belize-flagged ship earlier this month caused oil to spread up to 18 miles (29 kilometers). It also warned of the danger of leakage from the ship’s cargo of fertilizer.
Rubymar, is a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo ship. Was attacked on 18th February while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, US Central Command said.
The missile attack forced the crew to abandon the ship, which was heading to Bulgaria after leaving Khorfakkan in the United Arab Emirates. It was transporting more than 41,000 tonnes of fertiliser, Centcom said in a statement.
The CentCom statement said there was significant damage to the vessel, causing the ship to slip away, warning that the ship’s cargo “could spill into the Red Sea and exacerbate this environmental disaster.”
“The Houthis are demonstrating a disregard for the regional impact of their indiscriminate attacks, endangering fishing industries, coastal communities and imported food supplies,” it said.
The Associated Press, relying on Planet Labs PBC satellite images of the crashed ship, reported Tuesday that the ship was leaking oil into the Red Sea.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government on Saturday called on other countries and maritime-security organizations to quickly address the oil crisis and prevent “a significant environmental disaster.”
In this satellite image provided by Planet Labs, the Belize-flagged bulk carrier Rubymar is seen leaking oil in the southern Red Sea near the Bay al-Mandeb Strait after an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024 Is. Despite a month of US-led airstrikes, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been able to launch significant attacks. This week, they seriously damaged a ship in a key strait and apparently shot down an American drone worth millions of dollars. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
The government, based in the southern city of Aden, said in a statement that the ship was headed towards Hanish Island, a Yemeni archipelago in the southern Red Sea.
Separately, CENTCOM said it carried out strikes on Houthi-held areas in Yemen on Friday, destroying seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were ready to launch toward the Red Sea.
It described the attacks as “self-defense” and said the missiles “presented an imminent threat to merchant ships and U.S. Navy vessels in the area.”
CENTCOM did not provide further details. However, Houthi-run media reported attacks by the US and Britain on the Durehimi district in the Red Sea province of Hodeida.
The US military has launched a wave of strikes on Houthi-held areas inside Yemen in recent weeks in response to Houthi attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea.
Rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters since November. they claim to act Israel’s war targets Hamas in the Gaza StripHowever, they have often targeted ships with weak or no apparent ties to Israel, endangering shipping in a key trade route between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Targeted ships include at least one with cargo to iranMain donor of Houthis.
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