Double blow by the Houthis: The Rubymar is at risk of sinking, material damage to the ship with the Greek flag – The 5 Greek sailors are safe

Yemen's Houthis said Monday they attacked the cargo ship Rubymar in the Gulf of Aden and that the ship is now in danger of sinking – raising the stakes of their campaign to disrupt global shipping in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza war.

The crew is safe, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement, adding that they had also shot down a US drone in the port city of Hodeidah.

“The ship was hit so hard that it came to a complete stop. As a result of the extensive damage sustained by the ship, it is now at risk of sinking in the Gulf of Aden,” Sarrea said, according to Reuters.

The Rubymar was damaged after two missiles were fired at the ship, although the crew were able to get away, the ship's maritime security company LSS-SAPU told Reuters on Monday.

“We know it was taking on water,” LSS-SAPU said when asked about the vessel's condition.

“There is no one on board now. Owners and managers are considering towing options.”

Attack on a Greek-flagged ship

In a second incident within hours, a bulk carrier under the Greek flag and owned by the USA was attacked by missiles in two separate attempts, with no crew injured, although a ship's window was damaged, Greek shipping ministry sources told Reuters.

The ship was sailing from Argentina to Aden with grainwith 23 crew members, incl 5 Greek citizensthe ministry source said.

The attacks have prompted several companies to abandon Red Sea voyages and take the longer and more expensive route around Africa. US and British warplanes have carried out retaliatory strikes across Yemen.

Sailors remain in the line of fire and have already signed agreements to refuse to travel on ships passing through the Red Sea and to receive double pay double pay when entering the high-risk zones.

So far, none of the ships attacked have been sunk or any crew killed, but safety fears are growing, Reuters reports.

Since mid-November, the Houthis have been launching drone and missile attacks against merchant ships in the Red Sea.

Source: News Beast

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