Yemeni forces seize shipment of drone, boat materials in Bab al-Mandab

Yemen’s pro-government forces said on Tuesday that they had seized a shipment of materials used for manufacturing drones and explosive boats aboard a vessel in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

In a statement on the US social media company X, the Giants Brigades said they intercepted the vessel as it attempted to sail toward Yemen’s western coast in Al Hudaydah province, whose ports are controlled by the Houthi group.

The statement added that the boat was carrying three sailors suspected of belonging to the Houthis, and they were detained for questioning.

The seized shipment included various equipment believed to be used in drone manufacturing, including hydraulic drilling equipment, servers, electronic chips for operating drones, GPS tracking devices for precise guidance, as well as engines and equipment for manufacturing suicide boats, it added.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthi group on the statement.

The US has repeatedly accused Iran of smuggling weapons to the Houthi group, an accusation Tehran denies.

Yemen has witnessed a relative truce between government forces and the Houthis since April 2022, despite continued sporadic clashes on some fronts, amidst a state of military stalemate and mutual accusations between the two sides.