Ansarallah claim attack on UK ship in Gulf of Aden, say it could sink
The Yemeni military said on Monday they struck a British ship in the Gulf of Aden, after a maritime security firm reported overnight an attack on a UK-registered ship.
The military said they had attacked the Rubymar cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden and the vessel was now at risk of sinking.
Since mid-November in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war, the Ansarallah movement (Houthis) launches military attacks on Israeli ships and its supporters until they achieve their goals: halting attacks on the blockaded enclave.
The military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement that the crew of the British cargo ship are safe. The Houthis had also shot down a US drone in the port city of Hodeidah, Reuters quoted him as saying.
“The ship was seriously hit which caused it to stop completely. As a result of the extensive damage the ship suffered, it is now at risk of sinking in the Gulf of Aden,” Sarea said.
The Rubymar sustained damaged after two missiles were fired at the vessel from Yemen although the crew were able to evacuate, the vessel’s maritime security company LSS-SAPU told Reuters on Monday. “We know she was taking in water,” LSS-SAPU said when asked about the vessel’s condition.
“There is nobody on board now,” LSS-SAPU said. “The owners and mangers are considering options for towage.”
So far, no ships attacked have been sunk or any crew killed but there are growing safety fears.
The Belize-flagged, British-registered and Lebanese-operated general cargo ship came under attack in the Bab el-Mandab Strait off Yemen on Sunday, British maritime security firm Ambrey said. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported on Sunday that the crew had abandoned a ship off Yemen after an explosion – apparently the same incident.
US-owned ship attacked
In a second incident in hours, a Greece-flagged, US-owned bulk carrier was attacked on Monday by missiles in two separate attempts, with no injuries to the crew although one window onboard was damaged, Greek shipping ministry sources told Reuters.
The vessel was sailing from Argentina to Aden with grain with 23 crew members onboard including 5 Greek nationals, the ministry source said.
The Yemeni military has vowed to continue their attacks as long as Israel continues to commit “crimes” against Palestinians.
The attacks have prompted several companies to halt Red Sea voyages and take a longer and more expensive route around Africa. US and British warplanes have carried out retaliatory strikes across Yemen.
Root of problem is
Israeli invasion
Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi on Monday called for a cease-fire in Gaza to end insecurity in the Red Sea which has disrupted hydrocarbon deliveries in the vital shipping
route.
The minister, who is also the chief executive of state-owned hydrocarbon giant QatarEnergy, said the “root of the problem” in the Red Sea “is the Israeli invasion of Gaza”. “Hopefully there is a cease-fire soon that will stop that so that the economic impact on the entire world stops,” he said.
US Navy’s largest battle
Meanwhile, a US Navy admiral said the conflict against the Houthis in the Red Sea is one of the largest naval battles the US has fought in decades.
“I think you’d have to go back to World War II where you have ships who are engaged in combat,” Vice Adm. Brad Cooper told the “60 Minutes” host Norah O’Donnell in an interview that aired Sunday.
“When I say engaged in combat, where they’re getting shot at, we’re getting shot at, and we’re shooting back,” he continued.
Cooper, the deputy commander of the US Central Command, told CBS’s “60 Minutes” that the Navy had committed about 7,000 sailors to the Red Sea. CBS reported that the Navy had fired about 100 standard surface-to-air missiles against Houthi missiles and drones. AFP, REUTERS, and Business Insider contributed to this report.