Israeli news agency Globes suggested that the Houthis were behind the cable damage. (representative)
CNN reports that damage caused to undersea cables in the Red Sea following Houthi attacks in the region has disrupted global telecommunications networks, forcing internet providers to cut back on traffic between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. They have been forced to change their routes by as much as 1/2.
As the Houthis continue to carry out indiscriminate attacks targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea, Hong Kong-based news agency HGC Global Communications has released a report.
HGC said cables belonging to four major telecommunications networks had been “cut”, causing “significant” disruption to telecommunications networks in the Middle East.
The carrier said in a report on Monday that 25 percent of its traffic between Asia and Europe and the Middle East was affected, according to CNN.
The company also said it was rerouting traffic to minimize disruption to customers and was “extending assistance to affected businesses.”
However, HGC did not say what caused the cable damage or who was responsible.
This comes weeks after Yemen’s official government warned of possible cable attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have already attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea and disrupted global supply chains. CNN reported that he is doing so.
Israeli news outlet Globes suggested in a report last week that the Houthis were behind the cable damage.
But Yemeni rebel leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi denied the allegations, saying: “We have no intention of targeting the undersea cables that provide internet to countries in the region.”
Among the affected networks is the Europe-India Gateway, which spans 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles) between Europe, the Middle East and India.
Additionally, Asia-Africa-Europe, a 25,000-kilometre cable system connecting Southeast Asia and Europe via Egypt, was also damaged, CNN reported.
The Houthis have carried out attacks on commercial and military vessels since November.
Al Jazeera reported that the Houthis initially said they would target Israeli-linked ships in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, but later expanded to include ships affiliated with Britain and the United States.
Last month, U.S. and British forces, with support from several other countries, attacked 18 Houthi targets in Iranian-backed Houthi terror-controlled territory in Yemen.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
