A Houthi rebel ship was surveying the south coast of the Red Sea when it spotted a UAE-flagged vessel entering Yemeni waters without permit, conducting “hostile acts”.
Whereas, on the other hand, the statement issued later by the Saudi authorities stated otherwise. The coalition claimed that the vessel was in fact carrying medical supplies.
The Iran-backed militia’s word holds little credibility due to their history and reputation. However, they released a video of Rwabee — the ship — reportedly carrying military equipment of the Saudi-led coalition.
Coalition spokesperson, Turki al-Marki said, “The boat named Rawabi, bearing the flag of the United Arab Emirates, was pirated and kidnapped at 23.57 (20.57 GMT) Sunday while off Hodeidah province.”
Meanwhile, no immediate response was received from the United Arab Emirates. Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Sare’e, came forward to claim that the vessel was indeed in Yemeni waters without authorization and caught for its “hostile acts”.
In the video released by the Houthi rebels, an Emirati-flagged ship can be seen, which the militia claims to have been carrying ammunition on board, along with citing belief that the UAE was possibly behind the latest attacks in Shabwa governorate. The attacks allegedly pushed the rebels to make an unexpected territorial withdrawal.
The conflict of Yemen has led the poor Arab nation to the brink of famine, catastrophe and annihilation, by pushing millions to displacement and thousands to death. Today, Yemen is known only for the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, as per the United Nations.
The crisis is a product of the proxy war between Saudi-led coalition, supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government and Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The Saudi-led coalition is still officially operating against the Houthi rebels and responding to the attacks and activities of the militia. However, the UAE forces long announced their withdrawal from the Yemen war.
Nevertheless, the UAE-backed forces have been rather active in Yemen, with their December 2021 seizure of the Usaylan district in Shabwa, considered to be Yemen’s most oil-rich region.
With the recent seizure of the UAE-flagged ship for allegedly ‘carrying military equipment’, the Emirates’ presence in the region resounds more.
