gCaptain: Telecommunications company confirms damage to undersea cables near Yemen; cause unclear

HGC Global Communications, a leading Hong Kong-based telecommunications provider, reports substantial damage to a number of undersea cables in the Red Sea, affecting about 25% data traffic between Asia and Europe, according to maritime news site gCaptain.

Per gCaptain, while the US is investigating whether the cables were deliberately sabotaged by the Houthis or damaged by accident by something like an anchor, the government of Yemen has expressed its fear that the Houthis might try and escalate its blockade of the Red Sea by targeting the cable network.

For their part, the Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the damage to the cable system, instead blaming the US and UK strikes against Houthi targets in retaliation for their attempted partial blockade of the Red Sea shipping route.

An earlier Globes report stated that the four cables were damaged between Saudi Arabia and Djibouti, and belong to the companies of EIG, Seacom, AAE-1, and TGN.