A British cargo vessel, the Rubymar, was forced to be abandoned by its crew after being struck by two missiles in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait near Yemen on Monday night. The attack was carried out by the Iran-backed Yemen rebel group, the Houthis. The crew of 20 members safely evacuated the ship onto a nearby merchant vessel as the Rubymar, loaded with "very dangerous" fertilizer, risked sinking due to the damages caused by the explosion.

The incident has sparked concerns over the escalating terror assaults by the Houthis in the region, with the US and its allies responding with retaliatory airstrikes targeting the rebel group in Yemen. The US military confirmed hitting at least 30 Houthi targets across 10 different locations in a single day earlier this month, in addition to eliminating 11 armed Houthi drones.

This attack comes after recent strikes on US forces and their allies by terrorist groups in response to the West's support of Israel during the Gaza war. The Houthis have been targeting maritime traffic in the area, with this attack being one of the most damaging to date.

UK officials swiftly condemned the attack on the Rubymar as a "reckless act," confirming that allied forces were already at the scene providing assistance to the crew. The situation serves as a stark reminder of the volatile nature of the conflict in the region and the ongoing threats posed by terrorist groups like the Houthis.