A ship attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, officials said on Saturday.
The Rubymar is the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of the Houthis' campaign over Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The ship had been drifting northward after being attacked on February 18 in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Yemen's internationally recognised government, as well as a regional military official, confirmed the ship sank.
The Rubymar's Beirut-based manager could not be immediately reached for comment.
Yemen's exiled government, which has been backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, said the Rubymar sank late on Friday as stormy weather took hold over the Red Sea.
The vessel had been abandoned for 12 days after the attack, though plans had been floated to try and tow the ship to a safe port.
The Iran-backed Houthis, who had claimed the ship sank almost instantly after the attack, did not immediately acknowledge the ship's sinking.
The US military's Central Command previously warned the vessel's cargo of fertilizer, as well as fuel leaking from the ship, could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea.
Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war. Those vessels have included at least one with cargo bound for Iran, the Houthis' main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.
Despite over a month of U.S.-led airstrikes, Houthi rebels remain capable of launching significant attacks. That includes the attack on the Rubymar and the downing of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars. The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in the Gaza Strip, which have enraged the wider Arab world and seen the Houthis gain international recognition.
However, In recent days, there has been a slowdown in attacks. The reason for that remains clear.
