Red Sea undersea cable partially restored after being cut in militant attack

The 'submarine cable connecting Europe and Asia through the Red Sea,' which was cut in February 2024 due to attacks by Yemeni militants, has been repaired. However, of the three cables that were cut, only one has been restored. Work is still underway to restore the remaining two.

Damaged Internet Cables Repaired in Red Sea as Houthis Attack Ships - Bloomberg

Damaged Internet Subsea Cables Repaired in Red Sea Amid Militant Attacks on Ships

The Red Sea, located between the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the important routes connecting Europe and Asia, and is used by tankers and other vessels, as well as having several communication cables laid on its seabed.

In Yemen, located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, clashes between the government and the Houthis continue, with the Houthis repeatedly attacking ships sailing in the Red Sea. In February 2024, an anchor from a cargo ship that was abandoned and sunk after an attack cut three undersea cables.

Given the unstable situation in Yemen, repairs were expected to be difficult, but after five months, one of the severed cables, known as 'AAE-1,' has been repaired.

The repairs are believed to have been agreed to by both the government and the Houthis, but the AAE-1 Cable Consortium, which operates the cable, declined to say what negotiations took place, and the government also declined to comment.

The SEACOM/TGN-EA and Europe India Gateway (EIG) cables remain down and efforts are underway to restore them, but progress has not been disclosed.