DUBAI, February 19. /TASS/. The Rubymar, a British ship attacked by Houthi rebels from the Yemen-based Ansar Allah movement while navigating the Gulf of Aden, has now sunk, Sky News Arabia television reported, citing Yemeni sources.

The TV channel did not disclose any other details of the incident.

Earlier, the Houthis announced they had delivered a missile strike on the Rubymar. Ansar Allah representative Yahya Saria published a corresponding statement on his Telegram channel. According to the rebels' claim, the vessel suffered serious damage and stopped moving. The Houthis acknowledged that the Rubymar may be at risk of sinking.

After the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip escalated in October of last year, the Houthis warned that they would launch strikes on Israeli territory while barring ships associated with the Jewish state from passing through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until Tel Aviv ceased its military operation against Palestinian radical group Hamas in the embattled enclave. Since last November, the Houthis have attacked dozens of civilian vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.