Yemen forces intercept weapons shipment bound for Houthis

Yemeni security forces seized a vessel off the Lahj coast, west of Aden, carrying advanced military equipment and drone components destined for the Iran-backed Houthi militias, officials said on October 7.

The interception, led by Brigadier General Hamdi Shukri of the Giants Brigades’ Second Unit, involved three smugglers on board, Caliber.Az reports via Arabic international newspaper.

Confiscated items included drone parts, surveillance devices, communication equipment, high-capacity batteries, advanced electronic chips, carbon fibres, and precision cameras capable of day-and-night monitoring.

Authorities said this marked the third seizure of its kind in recent weeks. Earlier operations had uncovered similar shipments, including espionage devices, drones, and more than 700 tons of advanced weaponry, reportedly linked to Iranian smuggling networks operating in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.

The Houthis, who have carried out over 220 attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over the past two years, claim these actions are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani rejected this, saying the attacks advance Iran’s regional agenda and pressure the international community.

Eryani urged the European Union, the United Kingdom, and other global actors to designate the Houthis as a terrorist organisation and to support Yemen’s legitimate government in safeguarding its territorial waters.

By Aghakazim Guliyev