A ship security company has announced that, based on radio communication, it believes a cargo ship has begun to sink in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen after being struck by a missile.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack on the ship, but Yemeni Houthi rebels are suspected, as they have been attacking ships in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the ship was attacked near the port city of Hodeidah, close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the southern Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Private security firm Ambrey stated that the ship “Laax,” sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands, reported via radio that its cargo hold was damaged in the missile attack, water was entering the ship, and it had started to sink.
The “Laax,” 230 meters long with a carrying capacity of 43.000 tons, managed by “Grehel Ship Management” from Piraeus, Greece, reported it was sailing to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Houthis have carried out more than 50 attacks on ships, seized one, and sunk another since November, according to the United States (U.S.) Maritime Administration. In recent weeks, the frequency of Houthi attacks has decreased, with claims of shooting down U.S. drones.
Due to this danger, navigation through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden has declined.
Yemen has been devastated by war since the rebels seized the capital, Sana’a, in 2014. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition entered the war in 2015 in support of the exiled Yemeni government, but the stalemate among the warring parties remains as Riyadh attempts to reach a peace agreement with the Houthis, Federalna writes.
E.Dz.
Photo: illustration
