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A ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, officials said.
The Rubymar is the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of the Houthis’ campaign over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The ship had been drifting northward after being attacked on February 18 in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government, as well as a regional military official, confirmed the ship sank.
The Rubymar’s Beirut-based manager could not be immediately reached for comment.
In this satellite image provided by Planet Labs, the Belize-flagged bulk carrier Rubymar is seen in the southern Red Sea near the Bay el-Mandeb Strait leaking oil after an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels
Yemen’s exiled government, which has been backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, said the Rubymar sank late on Friday as stormy weather took hold over the Red Sea.
The vessel had been abandoned for 12 days after the attack, though plans had been floated to try and tow the ship to a safe port.
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