Yemeni rebels targeted “a British ship in the Gulf of Aden, the RUBYMAR, with naval missiles,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement.
Earlier, the Ambrey company reported the attack on a “Belize-flagged bulk carrier, registered in the United Kingdom and operated by Lebanon” in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of 'Aden.
The ship was heading north from the United Arab Emirates and had its final destination in the Bulgarian city of Varna.
Britain's maritime safety agency UKMTO said a ship 35 nautical miles (65 kilometers) from the Yemeni port of Mokha had reported "an explosion nearby which caused damage."
UKMTO later confirmed that the crew had evacuated the ship and were safe.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO)
UKMTO WARNING - INCIDENT 033 UPDATE 001
Category: ATTACK#UK #UKMTO #Yemen pic.twitter.com/4Sg7XmR3nr
— Ulfh3dnar (@Ulfh3dnar_) February 19, 2024
According to the Houthis' military spokesperson, the ship "risks sinking in the Gulf of Aden" after suffering "significant damage" during the attack.
But according to Ambrey, the boat's drift would be compatible with an engine failure.
The Houthis, who control large areas of Yemen, say they are carrying out the attacks in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is waging a bloody war against Palestinian Hamas in retaliation for the unprecedented October 7 attack on the ground. Israeli.
Retaliatory fire from the US army
These attacks triggered retaliatory strikes by US and British forces in Yemen, the latest of which took place on Saturday.
According to the US military command, the army "successfully carried out five self-defense strikes against three mobile anti-ship missile systems, an autonomous submarine and a naval surface drone", Saturday between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. "This is the first time that (the military) has detected the Houthis' use of an autonomous submarine since the attacks began on October 23," Centcom added.
Faced with these attacks, the European Union has in turn decided to launch a maritime mission in the Red Sea, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday.
“Europe will ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, in coordination with our international partners,” she said on X (formerly Twitter).
I welcome today's decision to launch the EU Naval Force Operation Aspides.
Europe will ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, working alongside our international partners.
Beyond crisis response, it's a step towards a stronger European presence at sea to protect our…
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 19, 2024
For his part, Qatar's Energy Minister is calling for a ceasefire in Gaza that would lead to an end to attacks by the Houthis.
“I hope that a ceasefire will come soon, in order to put an end to the attacks and their economic impact on the whole world,” he declared during a press conference organized at the occasion of the inauguration of works on a mega petrochemical plant on the northeast coast of Qatar.
Many companies, like QatarEnergy, have chosen to divert their ships thousands of miles around the southern tip of Africa to avoid the Red Sea.
“This will increase costs, delays and constraints on deliveries,” underlined the minister, referring to these deviations.