AN attack by Yemeni houthi rebels on a Belize-flagged ship in early February caused an 18-mile (29-kilometre) oil slick, the US military said, according to ABC News.
It also warned of the danger of a spill from the vessel's cargo of fertilizer.
The Rubymar, a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo vessel, was attacked on February 18 while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, US Central Command said.
The missile attack forced the crew to abandon the vessel, which had been on its way to Bulgaria after leaving Khorfakkan in the United Arab Emirates. It was transporting more than 41,000 tonnes of fertilizer, CENTCOM said in a statement.
The vessel suffered significant damage, which led to the slick, said the CENTCOM statement, warning that the ship's cargo 'could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster.'
'The Houthis continue to demonstrate disregard for the regional impact of their indiscriminate attacks, threatening the fishing industry, coastal communities, and imports of food supplies,' it said.
The Associated Press, relying on satellite images from Planet Labs PBC of the stricken vessel, reported recently that the vessel was leaking oil in the Red Sea.
Yemen's internationally recognized government has called for other countries and maritime-protection organizations to quickly address the oil slick and avert 'a significant environmental disaster'.
In a statement, the government, which sits in the southern city of Aden, said the vessel is heading toward the Hanish Islands, a Yemeni archipelago in the southern Red Sea.
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It also warned of the danger of a spill from the vessel's cargo of fertilizer.
The Rubymar, a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo vessel, was attacked on February 18 while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, US Central Command said.
The missile attack forced the crew to abandon the vessel, which had been on its way to Bulgaria after leaving Khorfakkan in the United Arab Emirates. It was transporting more than 41,000 tonnes of fertilizer, CENTCOM said in a statement.
The vessel suffered significant damage, which led to the slick, said the CENTCOM statement, warning that the ship's cargo 'could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster.'
'The Houthis continue to demonstrate disregard for the regional impact of their indiscriminate attacks, threatening the fishing industry, coastal communities, and imports of food supplies,' it said.
The Associated Press, relying on satellite images from Planet Labs PBC of the stricken vessel, reported recently that the vessel was leaking oil in the Red Sea.
Yemen's internationally recognized government has called for other countries and maritime-protection organizations to quickly address the oil slick and avert 'a significant environmental disaster'.
In a statement, the government, which sits in the southern city of Aden, said the vessel is heading toward the Hanish Islands, a Yemeni archipelago in the southern Red Sea.
SeaNews Turkey
