ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 6 — Yemen’s government naval forces seized on Sunday a smuggling boat loaded with materials used to manufacture drones, explosives and missiles off the country’s southern coast, a security official said.
The boat was intercepted near the southern Lahj province while en route to Houthi-controlled areas, the official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
According to the source, the vessel was carrying “a large quantity of sensitive military components, including batteries and drone operating system parts, which were camouflaged inside plumbing materials in an apparent attempt to evade detection.”
Despite limited capabilities, pro-government naval units tracked and stopped the boat after receiving intelligence about its movements, the official said.
The shipment was part of a wider network supplying the Houthis with military components, the source added. Three suspects were arrested, and the seized materials were transferred to security units in the southern port city of Aden for examination, the official added.
Yemeni officials have repeatedly accused the Houthis of receiving smuggled weapons and drone components through maritime routes along the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have not commented on the latest accusation. (Xinhua)
