KUALA LUMPUR – The anchor of a US bulk carrier attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels severed communication cables under the Red Sea, causing a global internet outage.
The United States Defence Department is assessing the damage to the undersea cables after the MV Rubymar took a major hit to its hull following a missile strike on February 18.
“We currently assess that the damage sustained to the undersea cables… is a result of the Houthis’ February 18 missile attack against the MV Rubymar, which has now sunk.
“The attack forced the crew to drop anchor and abandon ship. Preliminary assessments indicate the anchor dragging along the seafloor is likely to have cut the undersea cables that provide internet and telecommunications service around the world,” said a defence official.
The Belize-flagged, Lebanese-operated Rubymar sank last Saturday with 21,000 metric tonnes of ammonium phosphate sulphate fertiliser on board.
The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea since last
November, a campaign they say is intended to signal solidarity with Palestinians.
They have vowed to strike Israeli, British and American ships, as well as vessels heading to Israeli ports, disrupting the trade route off Yemen.
Late night on March 5, Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram were inaccessible, with users worldwide taking to X to report problems logging in.
The hashtags #facebookdown and #instagramdown were trending on X, and the words Meta, Facebook and Instagram were also trending topics. – March 8, 2024