A British-owned vessel has sunk in the Red Sea, nearly two weeks after it was attacked by the Iran-backed Houthi group, Yemen’s internationally recognized government reported on Saturday.
The Rubymar sank on Friday during strong winds at sea, Yemen’s official Saba news agency quoted a government crisis group as saying.
The government warned of an “environmental disaster” as a result of the reported sinking.
In the past weeks, the Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea in what they say is retaliation for the Israeli onslaught in the Gaza Strip.
On February 19, the militants said they had attacked a British ship in the Gulf of Aden, claiming it was severely damaged.
Days later, the US military said the Houthis had attacked the bulk carrier Rubymar in the Red Sea, causing an oil slick.
The Belize-flagged vessel suffered "significant damage," and the attack caused an 18-mile (29-kilometre) oil spill, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on February 24.
The vessel was transporting over 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it was attacked, according to CENTCOM.
Several Western states, including the United States and Britain, have launched operations to protect ships in the region in response to the Houthi attacks.
The European Union has also launched a military operation to secure merchant shipping in the Red Sea, in which Germany will participate with the frigate "Hessen."
The Red Sea is one of the most important shipping routes for world trade, as it connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal in Egypt.