A British-owned cargo ship that was struck by anti-ship missiles fired last month by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists has sunk in the Red Sea, according to government officials.
The attack happened 35 nautical miles south of Al Mukha, Yemen, in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The crew was forced to quickly abandon the ship after one of the missiles hit the engine room in the rear of the ship, causing it to take on water and eventually become the first major merchant vessel the Houthis have sunk in the present conflict.
“We announce the sinking of the ship M/V Rubymar yesterday evening, Friday, coinciding with the weather conditions and strong winds witnessed at sea,” the Crisis Management Cell of the Rubymar cargo ship formed by the Yemeni government said in a statement.
The government said that the sinking of the ship “will cause an environmental catastrophe in the Yemeni territorial waters and the Red Sea” because the ship was carrying more than 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it sank.
The UK-owned Rubymar, attacked by Houthi militants last month, sank in the Red Sea, Yemen's internationally recognized government said, warning of an 'environmental catastrophe' from the ship's cargo of fertilizer https://t.co/jiWLhSDMsf pic.twitter.com/gTLVhpox4o
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 2, 2024
U.S. Central Command warned late last month that there was a risk of serious environmental disaster because of what the ship was carrying.
“The unprovoked and reckless attack by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists caused significant damage to the ship, which caused an 18-mile oil slick,” the statement said. “The M/V Rubymar was transporting over 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it was attacked, which could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster. The Houthis continue to demonstrate disregard for the regional impact of their indiscriminate attacks, threatening the fishing industry, coastal communities, and imports of food supplies.”