"US Warns Of Environmental Disaster From Cargo Ship Hit By Huthi Rebels"

"A cargo ship abandoned in the Gulf of Aden after an attack by Yemeni rebels is taking on water and has left a huge oil slick, in an environmental disaster that US Central Command said Friday could get worse.

Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, British-registered and Lebanese-operated cargo ship carrying combustible fertilizer, was damaged in a Sunday missile strike claimed by the Iran-backed Huthi rebels.

Its crew was evacuated to Djibouti after one missile hit the side of the ship, causing water to enter the engine room and its stern to sag, said its operator, the Blue Fleet Group.

A second missile hit the vessel's deck without causing major damage, Blue Fleet CEO Roy Khoury told AFP."

Hashem Osseiran reports for AFP February 24, 2024.