The US Navy and the military arm of the Houthi Ansarallah movement have been engaged in shooting at each other nearly every day for the past few weeks, so much so that US Central Command has been putting out daily updates on its activities in the Red Sea. However, over the past two days, even this conflict level seems to be escalating.
Centcom reported late yesterday that a Houthi missile struck the MV Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier. The crew abandoned ship and was transported to a nearby port by another merchant vessel that responded to its distress calls. While some number of ships have been struck by Houthi missiles and drones, this seems to be the first time one has been abandoned by its crew. The Rubymar is at anchor somewhere near the Bab el Mandab Strait.
