The US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed Saturday that the Yemeni Armed Forces' attack on the M/V Rubymar ship in the Red Sea on February 18 caused "significant damage" to the ship and caused an 18-mile oil slick.

"The M/V Rubymar was transporting over 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it was attacked," CENTCOM posted on X.

On Feb. 18 between 9:30 p.m. and 10:40 p.m., Iran-backed Houthi terrorists attacked the M/V Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier. The ship is anchored but slowly taking on water. The unprovoked and reckless attack by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists caused significant… pic.twitter.com/bU6j850wwG

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 24, 2024

The spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) Brigadier General Yahya Saree confirmed that the YAF Navy conducted a military operation last night, targeting the British ship Rubymar in the Gulf of Aden, utilizing several appropriate naval missiles.

He affirmed that the operation resulted in catastrophic damage to the ship, putting it at risk of sinking. Later, Saree announced that Rubymar sank.

The spokesperson noted that as part of the operation, the YAF Navy ensured the safe evacuation of the ship's crew, underscoring that all personnel had reached safety.

Yemeni sources told Al Mayadeen that the M/V Rubymar was carrying Ammonia.

"As Yemeni naval weapons hit the ship, it caught fire and began sinking in the sea after attempts to rescue it failed," the sources mentioned.

The same sources highlighted that the British ship was targeted with new precision weapons that have not yet been unveiled.

In a related context, CENTCOM claimed its forces destroyed Friday seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch from Yemen toward the Red Sea.

Feb. 23 Red Sea Update

On Feb. 23, between the hours of 12:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. (Sanaa Time), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces destroyed seven Iranian-backed Houthi mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch towards the Red Sea in self-defense.

CENTCOM… pic.twitter.com/5y70Xo7qpq

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 24, 2024

Earlier, the US military claimed its forces shot down three one-way Yemeni attack drones near several commercial ships operating in the Red Sea, adding that there was no damage to any ships.

US struggling to halt Red Sea attacks despite strikes: Officials

CNN reported, citing US officials, that President Joe Biden's administration is facing challenges in halting the ongoing operations of the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) in the Red Sea and the YAF is persistently reinforcing its weapons stockpile, despite US forces delivering multiple strikes against multiple targets in Yemen.

The report pointed out that US officials are struggling to devise an effective strategy against the YAF, as some within the Biden administration argue that relying solely on the use of force is proving ineffective.

Additionally, it is deemed expensive and impractical to continue launching multimillion-dollar missiles at relatively inexpensive YAF drones and rockets, CNN suggested.

The news website cited several officials as saying that the US lacks a clear assessment of the percentage of YAF equipment destroyed during strikes on Yemen, making it uncertain whether the military approach will undergo further changes.

"We just don’t have a good idea of what they [YAF] still have," a senior defense official told CNN, adding, "They continue to surprise us."

The CNN report also revealed that in some quarters of the Biden administration, there is a belief that the YAF might cease their operations if the Israeli occupation entity stops its aggression on the Gaza Strip.

On Thursday, Ansar Allah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi emphasized during a televised speech that the Yemeni Armed Forces have developed the existing missiles in their arsenal to the point that they have become too advanced for the US forces to intercept, as they have failed to block them from reaching their ships.

The operations of the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) against Israeli and Israeli-bound ships -- carried out in support of the people of Gaza until the Israeli aggression on the Strip ceases -- have forced some companies to take alternative routes including a two-week detour around the tip of southern Africa.

The YAF have also reiterated that they only chose clear and specific targets to hit the Israeli enemy until the American and British forces became involved in the aggression against Yemen, which turned them into targets as well, reiterating that no other countries are being targeted by the YAF.

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