Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Tuesday cut underwater Internet cables in the Red Sea, including Asia-Africa-Europe 1, Seacom, and TGN-Gulf, according to the Hong Kong-based HGC Global Communications. Also, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on Tuesday that an anti-ship ballistic missile launched by the Houthis struck the Liberian-flagged, Swiss-owned container M/V MSC SKY II in the Gulf of Aden, causing damage.
Seacom told the AP that “preliminary tests suggest the impacted segment falls within Yemen’s maritime jurisdiction in the Southern Red Sea.” It mentioned redirecting the traffic it could modify, acknowledging some services were temporarily disrupted.
Tata Communications, a subsidiary of the Indian conglomerate and the operator behind the Seacom-TGN-Gulf line, informed AP that it took prompt and suitable corrective measures upon the line being severed. “We proactively invest in multiple cable consortiums to enhance our network resilience. Consequently, in cases of cable cuts or disruptions, we can seamlessly redirect our services,” Tata stated.
The Yemenite government warned a month ago that the Houthis were planning to attack the cables, which the terrorist group did on February 24. NetBlocks reported on February 26 that internet access in the East African nation of Djibouti, provided by Seacom, suffered from interruptions.
The Houthis have refuted allegations of their targeting the cables, and instead attributed the disruptions to British and US military operations in the area.
But a spokesman for the Houthis on Monday admitted that they targeted the container with “a number of suitable naval missiles,” in support of Hamas in the war in Gaza.
The Red Sea attacks by the Houthis have disrupted global shipping, compelling companies to redirect their routes to longer and costlier journeys around southern Africa. The United States and Britain have designated the Houthis a terrorist group and launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
