The Houthis announced the targeting of the ship Rubymar in the Gulf of Aden (Al Jazeera)
The US Central Command said - yesterday, Friday - that an attack launched by the Houthis on the cargo ship Rubimar on February 18 caused serious damage to the ship, and the leakage of an oil slick 29 kilometers long.
She added that the ship was transporting more than 41,000 tons of fertilizer, which could lead to an environmental disaster.
The US Central Command said - in a statement - regarding the British-owned cargo ship flying the Belize flag, "The ship is anchored but is slowly taking on water."
The military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Saree, said in a statement - the day after the attack - that his group targeted the ship in the Gulf of Aden, and it is now in danger of sinking.
Also yesterday, US Central Command said it shot down 3 Houthi attack drones that were heading to commercial ships in the Red Sea, without causing damage.
It added in a statement that it carried out what it called self-defense strikes against 4 drones and two Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles that had been prepared to be launched towards the Red Sea.
The US command indicated that the drones and cruise missiles were identified as posing an imminent threat to commercial ships and US Navy ships in the region.
In this context, Houthi-affiliated media said, "An American-British aggression targeted the Ras Issa area in the Al-Salif District, north of Hodeidah, in the west of the country, with three raids."
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies