DUBAI — And bouquet which was attacked by the Huthis of Yemen It sank in the Red Sea after taking on water for several days, authorities said Saturday. She is the first vessel to be completely destroyed in the rebels’ campaign in response to Israel and Hamas’ war in Gaza.
The sinking of the Rubymar, which was carrying a cargo of fertilizer and had previously suffered a leak of combustible, could cause ecological damage in the Red Sea.
Persistent Houthi attacks have already disrupted traffic on this waterway, essential for cargo and energy shipments heading from Asia and the Middle East to Europe. Many ships have already abandoned the route.
World inflation
The sinking could lead to new diversions and increased insurance rates for ships plying this waterway, which could increase global inflation and affect aid shipments to the region.
The Belize-flagged Rubymar had been drifting north after being hit by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on February 18 in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping lane linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The internationally recognized government of Yemen, as well as a regional military official, confirmed that the ship had sunk. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters about the incident.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre, which monitors Middle East waterways, separately acknowledged the sinking of the Rubymar on Saturday afternoon.
It was not possible to contact the person in charge of Rubymar in Beirut so far.
Yemen’s government-in-exile, backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, said the Rubymar sank late Friday as stormy weather swept across the Red Sea. The ship had been abandoned for 12 days after the attack, although plans had been made to try to tow it to a safe port.
The Iran-backed Houthis, who had falsely claimed that the ship sank almost instantly following the attack, did not immediately acknowledge the ship’s sinking.
Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, prime minister of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, described the Sinking of ship “unprecedented environmental disaster”.
Source: With information from AP
