Yemen’s Houthis say they targeted British ship in the Red Sea
Sanaa (Quds News Network) – Yemen’s Houthi movement says it directly hit a British cargo ship earlier today and shot down a US drone over its territory as the Yemeni group continued to target Israeli, US, and British ships in the Red Sea demanding an end to Israel’s war of genocide on Gaza.
The developments come as the United States carried out five strikes in Yemen late on Saturday night as part of Washington’s military campaign after Houthi targeting of Israeli-linked vessels disrupted global trade passing through the Red Sea. Houthis have now expanded their attacks to include US and UK ships after the two countries launched strikes on the war-torn Arab nation.
The Rubymar cargo ship suffered “catastrophic damages and came to a complete halt” after being targeted in a military operation, said Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree in a televised address on Monday.
“As a result of the extensive damage the ship suffered, it is now at risk of potential sinking in the Gulf of Aden. During the operation, we made sure that the ship’s crew exited safely.”
The British maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed that the Rubymar is a UK-registered, Belize-flagged and Lebanese-operated cargo ship that came under attack late on Sunday.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also confirmed the incident – without naming the ship – and said it took place some 35 nautical miles (65km) south of al-Makha in Yemen.
“Military authorities report crew have abandoned the vessel. Vessel at anchor and all crew are safe,” it said. “Military authorities remain on scene to provide assistance”.
The Houthi military also announced they have downed a US-made MQ-9 Reaper attack drone over Yemen, which it said “was carrying out hostile missions against our country on behalf of the Zionist entity”.
The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, had claimed a confirmed missile attack on a British oil tanker that the US identified as a Panamanian-flagged vessel carrying crude bound for India.
The Iran-backed group has been disrupting trade through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden near its shores since October in a stated effort to support the Palestinian cause against the Israeli occupation and its Western backers.
The Houthi military spokesman on Monday said the group remains undeterred and attacks will continue.
Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, is showing no signs of abating as Israel vows to expand its ground assault into Rafah, the last large city in the enclave where 1.4 million Palestinians are taking shelter.
