Search

Houthis strike undersea internet cables: Report

Yemen-based terror group damages underwater cables that connect Europe to Asia, disrupting communications in the Gulf region and India.

By World Israel News Staff

Houthis in southern Yemen severed a number of critical undersea internet cables in the Red Sea, causing significant disruptions to communications between Europe and Asia, particularly in the Gulf region and India.

The four damaged cables are located on the Red Sea floor, between Dijbouti in East Africa and Saudi Arabia, in the Persian Gulf.

Notably, none of the damaged cables – the AAE-1, Seacom, EIG and TGN – affect internet access in Iran, which trained and funds the Houthis.

According to a report from Globes, the damage will take at least eight weeks to repair. In light of the ongoing drone and missile attacks against foreign ships by the Houthis, it’s likely that the repairs will take even longer.

“The location of the cable break is significant due to its geopolitical sensitivity and ongoing tensions, making it a challenging environment for maintenance and repair operations,” Seacom said in a statement.

“The team is currently working towards restoration timelines and will communicate these plans with our clients.”

Earlier in February, the Yemeni government warned that the Houthis were planning to destroy undersea cables as an act of retaliation for U.S. and UK airstrikes on its assets.

The Houthis themselves threatened to damage the communications cables in December, though their warning was dismissed by many security analysts.

Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and the Hamas terror groups, merchant vessels in the Red Sea have been targeted by the Houthis with drone and rocket attacks.

The terror group claims that it only strikes ships affiliated with Israel, the U.S., or the UK, but some of the vessels damaged by their fire have no links to those countries.