Aden: Yemeni authorities announced on Wednesday the seizure of 750 tonnes of weapons, including various missile systems, in the Red Sea.
Tariq Mohammed Saleh, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and commander of the National Resistance Forces, said in a statement on social media platform X that the seized weapons included naval and aerial missile systems, air defence systems, modern radar equipment, drones, wiretapping devices, anti-armor missiles, B-10 artillery pieces, tracking lenses, sniper rifles, ammunition, and other military equipment.
The Yemeni official also released a video of what he said was the seized cargo, showing a large quantity of new and diverse weapons and military equipment aboard a vessel.
Saleh said that the intercepted shipment was en route from Iran to the Houthis, while there was no immediate comment from the Houthi group.
The international recognised Yemeni government has repeatedly accused Iran of supplying weapons and military capabilities to the Houthis — an allegation Tehran consistently denies, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Houthis have controlled the capital Sanaa and most northern Yemeni provinces for over a decade.
On Sunday, Britain reported that at least four crew members from the Liberia-flagged ship Eternity-C were killed in Red Sea attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group last week, with several others still missing.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, the British Embassy in Yemen condemned the “unjustified Houthi attacks” on the Liberia-flagged ships Magic Sea and Eternity C, and called for the “immediate and unconditional release of all crew members of the Eternity C.”
While the exact number of missing personnel was not disclosed, the Embassy stressed that the attacks constitute “a violation of international law and freedom of navigation,” warning that continued Houthi assaults on commercial shipping risk further destabilising the region and undermining efforts toward sustainable peace in Yemen.
Both ships were operated by Greek companies and were allegedly targetted because the Houthis claimed they were bound for Israeli ports, according to earlier announcements by the Houthi group.
The strikes are part of the Houthis’ ongoing maritime campaign in the Red Sea against ships they claim are linked to Israel, which the group says is a response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In a televised speech Thursday, Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining what he called a “ban on navigation of the Israeli enemy” in Red Sea waters.
(IANS)
