A drifting ship, attacked by pro-Iran Houthi rebels, has not only caused an oil spill but its fertilizer cargo could now spill into the sea.
The recent attack on a commercial ship, carried out by Yemeni Houthi rebels, risks turning into an ecological disaster in the Red Sea.
The Rubymar, a cargo ship registered in the United Kingdom and operated in Lebanon, was attacked on February 18 while sailing in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the command said Central American (CENTCOM).
Missile attack forced crew to abandon ship, which was heading towards Bulgaria after leaving Khorfakkan, in the United Arab Emirates. It was carrying more than 41,000 tonnes of fertilizer, CENTCOM said in a statement.
At this stage, the damage caused to the ship has already led to an oil spill covering more than 29 kilometers, but American military authorities are now worried about the ship’s cargo which could spill into the sea, further aggravating this situation. “environmental disaster”.
“The Houthis continue to show disregard for the regional impact of their indiscriminate attacks, threatening the fishing industry, coastal communities and food imports”CENTCOM said.
The Associated Press, relying on Planet Labs PBC satellite images of the stricken ship, reported Tuesday that the ship was leaking oil into the Red Sea.
Yemen’s official government on Saturday called on other countries and maritime protection organizations to quickly tackle the oil spill and prevent “a major environmental disaster”.
In a statement, the government, which is based in the southern city of Aden, said the ship was heading toward the Hanish Islands, a Yemeni archipelago in the southern Red Sea.
Separately, CENTCOM said it launched attacks on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen on Friday, destroying seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were ready to be launched towards the Red Sea.
He described the strikes as “self-defense”claiming that the missiles “represented an imminent threat to U.S. merchant and naval vessels in the region.”
Houthi-run media reported strikes by the United States and the United Kingdom in the Durayhimi district of Hodeida province on the Red Sea.
The US military has launched waves of strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen in recent weeks in response to attacks on Red Sea shipping routes amid the war between Israel and Hamas.
Since November, rebels have repeatedly targeted shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waters, jeopardizing shipping on a key trade route between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.