Houthis claim 'catastrophic' attack in Red Sea that prompted crew to abandon ship
The Iran-backed Houthi militant group on Sunday damaged a ship offshore Yemen, prompting its crew to abandon the vessel in the latest escalation of maritime tensions that have disrupted key trade routes in the Red Sea. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations said on social media they received a report of a vessel attack in the Bab el-Mandeb strait off Yemen's coast, adding that the crew had abandoned the ship. "Vessel at anchor and all crew are safe," the UKMTO said. Houthi militants later claimed the attack, with spokesperson Yahya Sare'e identifying the vessel as general cargo ship Rubymar and describing it as British. VesselFinder and MarineTraffic.com data indicate the ship sails under the flag of Belize. Hou
