Houthi missile hits Saudi fertilizer vessel off Yemen

The crew members of the Belize-flagged Handysize bulk carrier Rubymar, carrying a cargo of Saudi fertilizer, have abandoned ship off Yemen after it was hit by a missile fired by Houthi militants late on 18 February.

The British-owned vessel was in the Gulf of Aden near the Bab el-Mandeb strait when it was hit by at least one missile while another missed its target, according to US Central Command.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received reports of an attack 40 miles (about 64.4km) south of Mokha, Yemen, on an unnamed vessel. US Central Command confirmed that the Rubymar sustained damage and then issued a distress call that was answered by a coalition warship and another merchant vessel.

The crew was evacuated safely and have been transported to the port of Djibouti, according to the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority.

The Rubymar was last located on vessel-tracking data in the Bab el-Mandeb strait between Yemen and Djibouti. The UKMTO said the vessel was at anchor and had been abandoned. A Houthi social media statement said the ship was at risk of sinking.

The vessel departed the Saudi port of Ras al-Khair on 8 February and was bound for Varna, Bulgaria, on the western edge of the Black Sea, vessel-tracking data show. It was due to arrive on 27 February.

There has been no confirmation as to what grade of fertilizer was on board, although vessel-tracking data do list fertilizers as the cargo. Bulgaria in the past has imported NP grades from Saudi Arabia. A spokesperson for the Saudi producer declined to comment on any aspect of the incident. The size of the vessel would indicate a cargo of about 30,000t.

This is the second confirmed major strike on a vessel carrying fertilizer in the region. In mid-January, the US-owned Genco Picardy, carrying a cargo of 30pc P2O5 phosphate rock from Egypt to India, came under drone attack by Houthi militants. This caused a fire onboard that was extinguished and the vessel proceeded to Thoothukudi.

By Mike Nash