Watch | Cargo ship sinks off Yemen after Houthi strike

Footage broadcast by Yemen TV showed a Belize-flagged ship partially submerged near Hanish Islands in the Red Sea.

Aljoumhouriya TV showed the Rubymar, a British-registered, Lebanese-operated, cargo vessel submerged in the sea.

The ship was attacked on Feb. 18 while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, U.S. Central Command said.

The attack caused an 18-mile (29-kilometer) oil slick, the U.S. military said Saturday. It also warned of the danger of a spill from the vessel's cargo of fertilizer.

The U.S. military has in recent weeks launched waves of strikes on Houthi-held areas inside Yemen in response to the Houthis’ attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea.

Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters.

They claim to be acting over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, however they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperilling shipping in a key route for trade among Asia, the Mideast and Europe.

The targeted vessels have included at least one with cargo for Iran, the Houthis' main benefactor.