Sinking cargo oil ship hit by Houthi missile

In this satellite image provided by Planet Labs, the Belize-flagged bulk carrier Rubymar is seen in the southern Red Sea near the Bay Al-Mandab Strait leaking oil after an attack by Yemen's Houthi militia on Feb. 20, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, British-registered and Lebanese-operated cargo ship carrying combustible fertilizer, was damaged in a Sunday missile strike claimed by Houthi.

Its crew was evacuated to Djibouti after one missile hit the side of the ship, causing water to enter the engine room and its stern to sag, said its operator, the Blue Fleet Group. a Belize-flagged Lebanese ship, registered in the UK, was carrying 41,000 tonnes of fertilizer when on Monday it was struck by one of two ballistic missiles fired from Houthi territory in Yemen

The damage sustained by the Rubymar is potentially the most significant to a vessel caused by an attack launched by the Houthis, who have been targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden for months.

It remains unclear what kind of substance is causing the slick.

The ship’s operator said Thursday the ship could be towed to Djibouti this week. Khoury said the ship was still afloat and shared an image captured on Wednesday that showed its stern low in the water.

When asked about the possibility of it sinking, Khoury had said there was “no risk for now, but always a possibility.”

The attack on the Rubymar represents the most significant damage yet to be inflicted on a commercial ship since the Houthis started firing on vessels in November — a campaign they say is in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war.

The Houthi attacks have prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, which normally carries about 12 percent of global maritime trade.

The Houthis’ attacks have increased in recent days; Singh said Thursday there has “certainly” been “an increase in attacks from the Houthis” over the last 72 hours. And while the Houthis have said they are conducting the attacks in support of the Palestinian people and targeting ships connected to Israel, many of the vessels attacked have instead been connected to other countries.

The UN Conference on Trade and Development warned late last month that the volume of commercial traffic passing through the Suez Canal had fallen more than 40 percent in the previous two months.

The US military also confirmed multiple new “self-defence strikes” on Houthi-controlled positions in Yemen. It said it destroyed seven mobile antiship cruise missiles that were prepared for launch towards the Red Sea. It's hoax from The US military.