Among the nations experiencing internet outages are Pakistan and the Red Sea, where cables have been cut: Report

In several parts of Asia and the Middle East, including Pakistan, internet connection was disrupted on Sunday due to underwater cable cuts in the Red Sea.

However, the reason of the incident was not immediately known, according to the Associated Press.

The cables have been the focus of a Red Sea campaign by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who say the action is an attempt to persuade Israel to halt its conflict against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, the Houthis have denied previously targeting the lines.

According to IT behemoth Microsoft, “undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea may experience increased latency in the Middle East.” Although it did not provide any details, the business stated that internet traffic that is not passing through the Middle East “is not impacted.” According to NetBlocks, a watchdog organisation that monitors internet access worldwide, “a series of subsea cable outages in the Red Sea has degraded internet connectivity in multiple countries,” including Pakistan. The watchdog blamed “failures affecting the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia” for the disruption. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is yet to comment on the disruption. Internet users in the United Arab Emirates complained of slower internet speeds on the country’s state-owned Du and Etisalat networks. The government has remained mum According to NetBlocks, a watchdog organisation that monitors internet access worldwide, “a series of subsea cable outages in the Red Sea has degraded internet connectivity in multiple countries,” including Pakistan.

Are Houthis responsible for the internet outages caused by cable breaks in the Red Sea?

Although the reason behind the Red Sea cable outages is unknown, Houthi militants in Yemen have been connected to strikes on local infrastructure in the past. The internationally recognized government in exile from Yemen said in early 2024 that the Houthis intended to attack Red Sea underwater cables. Although the Houthis denied responsibility, several were cut. The cuts were confirmed by the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news program on Sunday morning.

The Houthis used drones and missiles to strike approximately 100 ships during the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip between November 2023 and December 2024. The Houthis have murdered at least eight seamen and sunk four ships in their campaign thus far.

During the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis used drones and missiles to strike nearly 100 ships between November 2023 and December 2024. So far in their campaign, the Houthis have murdered at least eight seafarers and sunk four ships.