In recent months, four of at least 15 cables passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the southern Red Sea have been damaged; These cables connect Europe to Asia and carry 17% of the world’s Internet traffic. According to one version, the blame for the incident lies with Yemeni Houthi fighters.

According to Israeli publication Globes, the damaged cables included EIG, AAE-1, Seacom and TGN-EA. Seacom confirmed there was an interruption in the cable line between Kenya and Egypt. As for other cables, the EIG (European India Gateway) connects Southern Europe with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, UAE and India. The TGN-EA cable is owned by Indian Tata Communications. AAE-1 connects East Asia to Europe via Egypt.

In December, one of the Telegram channels linked to the Houthi rebels published a map of the cables running along the bottom of the Red Sea. The recording was accompanied by the message that Yemen is at a strategic point where internet lines connecting not only countries but all continents pass. Telecommunications companies affiliated with the UN-recognized Yemeni government warned of possible sabotage. The damage caused by the broken communication lines was “significant, but not critical”, as there were still a few intact cables remaining. Seacom said it was redirecting traffic to alternative lines.

Repairing damaged cables promises to be difficult. The work will take at least eight weeks and workers risk being attacked by militants. The most important of the damaged lines is AAE-1; Its length is approximately 24,850 km and connects Southeast Asia to Europe.

According to some information, the Houthis do not have underwater devices that could damage the cables, but in some places communication lines extend at a depth of 100 m, which provides the opportunity to affect the cables without the need for modern technical means. Source