Aden, Washington (Al-Ittihad)
Yesterday, the Pentagon expressed its deep concern about the escalation of Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, describing them as “explicit acts of terrorism.”
A statement issued by the Pentagon confirmed that the United States is seriously considering decisive steps to deal with these threats.
The statement came after two commercial ships were subjected to Houthi attacks this week, which led to the sinking of one of them.
The statement stressed that these attacks harm Yemenis and impede the arrival of humanitarian aid.
The US Army announced the destruction of 9 Houthi drones during the past 24 hours.
In a statement, the Central Command (Centcom) explained that 8 of these drones were destroyed in areas under Houthi control, while the ninth drone was destroyed over the airspace of the Gulf of Aden.
In turn, the Yemeni Minister of Information, Muammar Al-Eryani, said that reports received from Al-Khawkhah District in Hodeidah Governorate about the death of large quantities of fish and marine organisms, and the pollution and change of color of seawater on its coasts, are a direct result of the sinking of the “Rubimar” ship after it was targeted by the Houthi group in Last November 18, it carried 41,000 tons of highly toxic fertilizers, and quantities of oils and fuel, ignoring warnings of the catastrophic damage that Yemen and the Yemenis will pay for for decades to come.
Al-Eryani added in a press statement, reported by the Yemeni news agency “Saba”, that “the Houthis’ repeated targeting of tankers of chemical and petroleum products in international shipping lines in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden reflects the extent of their recklessness and indifference to the environmental, economic and humanitarian impacts and the catastrophic repercussions of the oil spill.” The economic, agricultural and fisheries sector in Yemen, the coastal strip of the riparian countries, the marine environment and the biodiversity of the islands located in the region.”
Al-Eryani renewed his call on all countries, organizations and bodies concerned with preserving the marine environment, to support the government’s efforts to contain the catastrophic repercussions of the sinking of the “Rubimar” ship, and to address the environmental disaster resulting from the sinking of fertilizers containing phosphate and other dangerous chemicals in Yemeni marine waters, as it will lead to… The proliferation of algae, forming a cover over the surface of the water and blocking light from it, the death of coral reefs and marine animals, the impact on the food web of marine plants and fish resources, hundreds of thousands of fishermen, and the damage that may be caused to desalination plants.
Yesterday evening, the British Navy said that a ship that was struck by the Houthi group with a drone in the Red Sea sank last week.
The Navy said in a statement that “the ship is the second confirmed sinking since the Houthis in Yemen began their attacks on shipping traffic in the region at the end of last November.”
#Washington #Houthi #activities #international #shipping #outright #terrorism