Houthi militants in Yemen said on Monday they had attacked the Rubymar cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden and the vessel was now at risk of sinking - raising the stakes in their campaign to disrupt global shipping in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war,
Reuters reports.
The crew are safe, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement. The Houthis had also shot down a U.S drone in the port city of Hodeidah, he said.
"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.
Iran-aligned Houthi forces have made repeated drone and missile attacks since mid-November against international commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait - a route that accounts for about 12% of the world's shipping traffic.
