Terror of Houthi rebels continues, after missile attack the crew left the British ship in the Red Sea
The terror of Houthi rebels in the Red Sea is still not stopping. According to Bloomberg, Houthi rebels once again attacked a commercial ship, after which the crew abandoned the ship in the Red Sea. This is the first such incident after the Houthis attacked the important trade waterway. On Sunday evening, local time, two anti-ship ballistic missiles damaged the Belize-flagged Rubymar, US Central Command said on social media platform X on Monday.
Feb. 18 Summary of Red Sea Activities
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 19, 2024
Between 9:30 and 10:45 p.m., Feb. 18, two anti-ship ballistic missiles were launched from Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen toward MV Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier. One of the missiles struck the… https://t.co/d6Ty7YTwcG
Houthi attacks are not stopping in the Red Sea
It was also said that after the distress call, the organization took the crew of the warship and another commercial ship Rubymar to a nearby port. Let us tell you that since November, attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea with missiles and drones have increased. At the same time, the Iran-backed terrorist group says that they are targeting only ships belonging to Israel, America and Britain. He says that his reaction is coming due to the ongoing war in Gaza and the Western airstrike.
British ship targeted by Houthi rebels
Let us tell you that Rubymar is a small cargo ship. According to the Equisys international maritime database, its registered owner is in Southampton, England. A spokesman for the Houthi rebels said in a statement that an unidentified British ship “completely sank” after the attack. However, this claim could not be independently verified. In fact, Centcom did not say in its statement whether Rubymar had sunk or not, and the ship’s owner also did not give any answer on this. UK Maritime Trade Operations had no further update on the incident.
Red Sea is very important for trade
Earlier, an official of GMZ Ship Management Company in Lebanon said that the Houthis attacked the engine room and bow of the ship. The official said that there is no information about any injuries to the crew members, who were being taken to Djibouti. Let us tell you that the Red Sea is a very important route for trade. About 12 percent of global trade and 30 percent of container traffic pass through the Suez Canal on the other side of the Red Sea each year, according to officials.
To avoid Houthi attacks, a significant portion of the world’s oil and gas carriers, bulk cargo ships and container ships are now transiting thousands of miles around Africa, increasing bogus times and boosting world shipping. Has been. Also on Monday, two explosions were reported near another ship, with evidence of shrapnel and paintwork damage.
Beginning of defensive naval operation
Huqi rebels said in a statement that they had also targeted two other ships, although specific details could not be immediately verified. The European Union on Monday formally launched a defensive naval operation aimed at protecting commercial ships from Houthi rebels. This mission, commanded by Greece, will accompany some ships and protect them from attacks from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the Persian Gulf.
