Undersea cables cut in Red Sea: Internet disrupted across Asia, Middle East; India, Pakistan among affected – The Times of India

Internet services across parts of Asia and the Middle East faced disruptions after undersea cables in the Red Sea were cut, experts said on Sunday. While concerns were raised over possible sabotage amid ongoing conflict in the region, it was not immediately clear what caused the incident, according to the news agency Associated Press.Microsoft said on its status page that the Middle East “may experience increased latency due to undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea,” though internet traffic outside the region was not affected. NetBlocks, a global watchdog monitoring internet access, reported “a series of subsea cable outages in the Red Sea” had degraded connectivity in several countries, including India and Pakistan. It identified failures impacting the South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 (SMW4) and the India-Middle East-Western Europe (IMEWE) cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.The SMW4 is run by Tata Communications, part of India’s Tata Group, while IMEWE is managed by a consortium overseen by Alcatel-Lucent. Both firms did not immediately respond to requests for comment, as per AP. Pakistan Telecommunications Co. Ltd. confirmed the cuts in a statement on Saturday. In the UAE, users of state-owned Du and Etisalat networks also complained of slower speeds, though authorities there and in Saudi Arabia did not comment.Submarine cables, a key part of global internet infrastructure, are vulnerable to ship anchors or deliberate attacks. Repairs typically take weeks, requiring specialised vessels to locate and fix the damage.The disruption comes as Yemen’s Houthi rebels continue attacks linked to the Israel-Hamas war. While speculation has grown about their role in targeting subsea infrastructure, the group has denied previous responsibility. On Sunday, the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite channel acknowledged reports of the outages, citing NetBlocks, but did not claim involvement.From late 2023 through 2024, the Houthis struck over 100 ships in the Red Sea using missiles and drones, sinking four and killing at least eight mariners. Their campaign, which they frame as pressure on Israel over Gaza, has drawn retaliatory airstrikes. Earlier this year, Yemen’s internationally recognised government accused the Houthis of planning to attack cables, though the group denied it.