Saudi-led coalition warns Houthis over smuggling by boat

SANAA — The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen warned the Houthi group on Monday against using traditional boats to smuggle weapons, missiles and military equipment into the country, according to Anadolu Agency. The coalition cited risks to civilians and regional security.

The coalition's Joint Forces Command said in a statement that the practice threatened security in Yemen and beyond. It urged boat owners not to cooperate with the Houthis in moving weapons and military equipment to Yemen's coast. It warned that their lives and property could be put at risk.

The statement gave no details of specific smuggling operations or intercepted weapons shipments. Anadolu Agency reported that the warning came days after the coalition released footage of strikes on boats, vehicles and facilities it said were used to smuggle weapons to the Houthis in Yemen's western Al Hudaydah province. The footage, released on Friday, showed vessels and vehicles being monitored before strikes hit several locations. The report does not say how many people were killed or injured in the strikes, and the coalition has not given a figure.

The source does not say whether the Houthis responded to the warning. It also does not confirm the origin of the weapons or the routes used.

Background

Yemen has been in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several provinces in 2014, according to Anadolu Agency. The following year, a Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of the internationally recognized government.

Anadolu Agency said the latest fighting began in July, when a 2022 UN-brokered truce broke down.