ADEN, Mac 3 (NNN-SABA) – Yemen’s internationally recognised government, announced yesterday, the cargo ship, Rubymar, sank off the coast of Yemen Friday night, amid stormy weather conditions.
In a statement, the government said, Rubymar, a cargo ship, abandoned for over 12 days, after being attacked by the Houthis, has sunk off the coast of Yemen.
The British-owned, Belize-flagged ship, carries thousands of tonnes of fertiliser and oil. The government expressed regret over the sinking, warning against a possible major environmental disaster in Yemen’s territorial waters.
On Feb 18, the Houthis fired two missiles at Rubymar, while it was passing through the Red Sea to the Zionist regime, partially damaging the ship. The Houthis claimed they believed the ship was carrying weapons bound for Israel.
Despite appeals from the Yemeni government over the past 12 days, to avoid catastrophe, Rubymar could not be secured and sank Friday night amid rough seas.
The Yemeni government convened an emergency meeting following the incident, to address the imminent environmental fallout.
Last Monday, the Yemeni government renewed its calls for international assistance, to help contain a potential massive oil spill from the sunken cargo ship. An emergency committee has also been formed to deal with the impending crisis.
The Houthis have stepped up their attacks on international shipping since mid-Nov last year, saying they were in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, who faced intense Israeli attacks.
The U.S.-British forces since Jan, have responded with dozens of airstrikes on Houthi targets, including mobile missile launchers and underwater drones, but have failed to deter the group from launching more attacks.– NNN-SABA
