Rubymar completely submerged, becomes first ship sunk by the Houthis

The Rubymar, a merchant ship that was attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Feb. 18, has completely sunk after weeks adrift. The officially recognized Yemeni government announced the sinking of the cargo ship. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO) confirmed this to the AP.

This news makes the British-owned ship the only merchant ship to have been completely destroyed and sunk by the Houthi rebels since their efforts to disrupt trade routes in the Red Sea began.

Before being completely submerged, the Rubymar was drifting, damaged and semi-sunk, in the waters of the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. The cargo ship was hit by a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis from Yemen, and its crew abandoned ship.

According to the AP, Yemen's internationally recognized government, as well as a regional military official, confirmed that the ship had sunk. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters about the incident.

The commercial managers of the Rubymar, based in Beirut, have not yet offered clarification about the status of the ship. The freighter was carrying tons of fertilizer. Now that it has sunk, the cargo, as well as the fuel, threaten to create an environmental disaster in the waters of the Red Sea.