The crew of the Rubymar cargo ship abandoned the vessel in the Red Sea following attacks from Houthis on its engine room and bow, according to GMZ Ship Management. An official with the company said no injuries have been recorded, and the shipmates are being taken to the East African country of Djibouti.
Houthi militants in Yemen have been attacking commercial vessels since the Israel-Palestine war began in October, but this is the first time a cargo crew has been forced to evacuate their ship. The vessel’s owner is reportedly based in Southampton, England.
While the Houthis have been attacking ships regularly—including an incident in January in which a Russian fuel tanker was set on fire—the number of opportunities to attack has declined as ships have begun avoiding the fraught waterway. Containers with cargoes of oil, gas, and other products are now sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing costs and shipping times but avoiding the riskier area.
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The navy of the United Kingdom claims the cargo ship is still receiving “military assistance,” but a spokesperson for the Houthis claims the ship is set to sink in the Gulf of Aden “due to the significant damage” of its “operation.”
🚨HOUTHIS CLAIM CARGO SHIP IS ABOUT TO SINK IN GULF OF ADEN https://t.co/QqbefiHFgC pic.twitter.com/rjR61i5hXv
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 19, 2024
The Houthis also claim to have shot down a US drone—a MQ-9 Reaper—near the city of Al Hudaydah off the coast of Yemen on Monday morning.
“Yemeni air defenses were able to shoot down an American plane (MQ-9) with a suitable missile while it was carrying out hostile missions against our country on behalf of the Zionist entity,” said the Houthi spokesman. “Yemeni armed forces will not hesitate to take more military measures and carry out more qualitative operations against all hostile targets in defense of beloved Yemen.”
The US Central Command reported that five self-dense strikes were carried out on Houthi entities, including an underwater vessel, over the weekend.
Feb. 17 Summary of Red Sea activities
TAMPA, Fla. – Between the hours of 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Sanaa time), Feb. 17, CENTCOM successfully conducted five self-defense strikes against three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, one unmanned underwater vessel (UUV), and one unmanned… pic.twitter.com/TwR9RUmMMu
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 18, 2024
As Valuetainment previously reported, Houthis have been carrying out attacks against commercial ships in protest of the Israeli campaign against Hamas in Gaza, which has led to the deaths of 29,000 and counting. Any ship with connections to the US, the UK, or Israel is subject to attacks from the group.
The European Union launched a formal naval operation today against the Houthis, more than two months after the US launched its naval task force. The European operation will be led by Greece.
Shane Devine is a writer covering politics, economics, and culture for Valuetainment. Follow Shane on X (Twitter).
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