Yemen's Houthis say Rubymar cargo ship targeted, could sink

The ship is British and the crew are safe, he said, adding the Houthis had also shot down a U.S drone in Hodeidah. A Belize-flagged, UK-registered and Lebanese-operated open hatch general cargo ship came under attack in the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen on Sunday, British maritime security firm Ambrey said.

(Adds detail in paragraphs 2-4) DUBAI, Feb 19 (Reuters) -

Yemen’s Houthis targeted the Rubymar cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden and it is now at risk of sinking, the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement on Monday. The ship is British and the crew are safe, he said, adding the Houthis had also shot down a U.S drone in Hodeidah.

A Belize-flagged, UK-registered and Lebanese-operated open hatch general cargo ship came under attack in the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen on Sunday, British maritime security firm Ambrey said. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported the crew had abandoned a ship off Yemen after an explosion.