The Shiite Houthi rebels claimed responsibility this Monday for an attack against a British ship in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, which was seriously damaged and is at risk of sinking, although the crew is safe and abandoned the ship.
The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said in a statement that the insurgents’ naval forces carried out an operation against the British ship “Rubymar” with several missiles and, as a result of the “serious damage suffered”, the ship “is at risk of sinking in the Gulf of Aden.”
“During the operation, we made sure that the ship’s crew emerged safe and sound,” he said.
Sarea noted that his units “will not hesitate” to continue carrying out “more operations against all hostile targets” in Yemen and in support of the Palestinian people, both in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.
The “Rubymar” is owned by a British company
Previously, the British Navy indicated in an alert that military authorities, referring to the naval alliance led by the United States, informed it that the crew of the “Rubymar” had abandoned the ship after the attack 35 miles south of Al Mokha , in Yemen, and located in the Strait of Bab al Mandeb, the gateway to the Red Sea.
«The ship is anchored and all the crew are safe. “Military authorities remain on site to provide assistance,” the British Army said.
According to maritime tracking portals, the “Rubymar” ship sails under the flag of Belize and departed from the United Arab Emirates towards Bulgaria.
It is a ship registered in the United Kingdom, operated by a company based in Lebanon and owned by a British company based in London, according to these portals.
Third Houthi attack against ship linked to the United Kingdom
This is the third attack in less than a week against a ship linked to the United Kingdom, a country that participates with the United States in attacks against the rebels in Yemen.
Precisely today, the foreign ministers of the European Union plan to approve Operation Aspides, the naval mission in the Red Sea to protect merchant ships from Houthi attacks, during a meeting in Brussels.
Since last November 19, the Houthis have launched around thirty attacks against merchant ships from different countries transiting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb, ensuring that the ships either belonged to Israel or They were heading to an Israeli port.
The tension in the area has caused the main shipping companies worldwide to continue adjusting their routes to avoid crossing the Red Sea, through which 8% of the world’s grain trade, 12% of the oil trade and 8% of the world trade in liquefied natural gas.
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