Undersea cable disruptions in the Red Sea have severed internet access in parts of Asia and the Middle East, experts report.

The cause remains unclear, though concerns linger over possible targeting by Yemen’s Houthi rebels amid their ongoing campaign against Israel over the Gaza conflict.

Microsoft noted on its status website that the Middle East may face increased latency due to the cuts, though traffic bypassing the region remains unaffected.

NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group, identified outages affecting the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, impacting connectivity in India, Pakistan, and beyond.

Pakistan Telecommunications Co. Ltd. confirmed the cuts Saturday, while Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where users reported slower speeds on Du and Etisalat networks, have not officially responded. In Kuwait, the FALCON GCX cable disruption was also noted, though operators have remained silent.

Subsea cables, vital to global internet traffic alongside satellites and land lines, can be severed by ship anchors or deliberate attacks, with repairs potentially taking weeks.

The timing coincides with heightened tensions, as Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, continue strikes on Israel, prompting Israeli airstrikes that killed key rebel figures.

Yemen’s exiled government, via Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani, linked the cuts to Houthi actions, urging international action to protect this critical digital lifeline.

The Houthis, who denied past involvement and acknowledged the latest cuts via al-Masirah, have targeted over 100 ships since November 2023, sinking four and killing eight mariners, with recent attacks resuming post-ceasefire.