Cut by anchor

Submarine cable cut by freighter that sank off Yemen

(Bild: APA/AFP/Khaled Ziad)

The freighter Rubymar, which sank almost completely after an attack by Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden, is believed to have cut an undersea cable with its anchor, according to the US. This was stated by the US Department of Defense on Thursday.

The Pentagon added that the missile attack had forced the crew of the ship to anchor. According to current information, the anchor dragging on the ground then "probably" severed an undersea cable running under the Red Sea, which enables internet and telecommunications services worldwide.

Huge oil slick, threat of environmental disaster
The freighter Rubymar, which was carrying 21,000 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, was shot at with rockets by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden on 18 February. The crew abandoned the freighter after two hits and fled to safety. Since then, a huge oil slick has escaped from the ship.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Khaled Ziad)

The Iran-backed Islamist Houthi militia has stepped up its attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since the start of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas in October. Many shipping companies are now avoiding the important sea trade route as a result.

In response to the Houthi attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea, the British and US military have carried out waves of attacks on rebel-controlled areas in Yemen in recent weeks. Two weeks ago, the EU also launched its military operation against the Houthi attacks.