(ConservativeSense.com) – Yemeni Houthi terrorists have sunk a British merchant ship in the Red Sea. Government officials say the attack happened in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and the ship’s crew abandoned the vessel after a missile struck the engine room at the ship’s rear. It is the first major merchant vessel to sink as a result of the Houthi attacks in the region.
MV Rubymar was a British-owned, Belize-flagged Handymax-size bulk carrier constructed in 1997. Environmental experts say its sinking will have a devastating impact because it was carrying 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it was struck. US Central Command repeated that warning, saying the sinking had caused “an 18-mile oil slick” in the surrounding waters. In a statement, a spokesperson for the US military said the Houthis “demonstrate disregard for the regional impact of their indiscriminate attacks.”
The Houthis, an Islamist group engaged in a civil war with the Yemeni government, have attacked dozens of vessels since the Israeli war with Hamas began last October. The group says the assaults are revenge for Western support of Israel and an act of solidarity with Hamas. Meanwhile, Western leaders admit that airstrikes by the US and UK appear to have had little impact.
Posting on Twitter, Houthi revolutionary committee leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said the UK is responsible for the Rubymar sinking because it has aided “genocide and siege” in the Gaza Strip by offering its support to Israel. He added that further attacks could be prevented if the UK would “sign a letter of guarantee” allowing aid convoys to reach civilians in Gaza safely.
Since the Red Sea attacks began, several major companies have altered their routes, sometimes adding thousands of miles to their journeys. Economic experts say this risks driving global prices up and adding to inflation concerns. Environmentalists also caution that the attacks are devastating sea life and coral reefs in the immediate region.
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