Yemeni forces intercept Houthi weapons being smuggled from coast

Yemeni authorities have apprehended 13 suspected members of a Houthi group and confiscated a lorry loaded with weapons, ammunition and explosives that were smuggled by sea into the province of Shabwa, according to the governor's office on Sunday. Shabwa Governor Awad Al Wazir, who also leads the provincial security committee, disclosed that the operation was prompted by intelligence gathering as conflict continues between the Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Houthis.

Early findings suggest the weapons were transported by boat and handed over to the cell's members along Yemen's southern coast. The shipment was reportedly intended for the benefit of the Iran-aligned Houthis, based on a report given to the governor. The seized materials included sniper rifles, ammunition, improvised explosive devices described as highly destructive, and various types of projectiles.

Authorities are still investigating the smuggling operation, the broader network involved, and additional suspects. The seizure occurred days after a Houthi ballistic missile strike against Rapid Intervention Forces in Shabwa that killed 77 and injured 195. The Houthis confirmed the attack, calling it a Saudi enemy concentration managed by Saudi officers, though Saudi authorities have not commented.

Al Wazir urged security and military units to heighten readiness, enhance surveillance and inspections, and improve coordination and intelligence-sharing to thwart future smuggling and infiltration attempts. Recent Houthi attacks on government locations, such as Aden airport and the presidential palace in the interim capital, resulted in the deaths of five security personnel.

Yemen's government forces recently initiated a campaign to reclaim Houthi-controlled areas, advancing near the strategic Bab Al Mandeb strait, while the rebels continue to besiege Taiz, a key stronghold of anti-Houthi forces in the southern highlands. Shabwa, an energy-rich province on Yemen's southern coast, is home to the Balhaf liquefied natural gas facility, the country's largest industrial investment.

The Yemeni civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa. A Saudi-led military intervention followed in 2015 at the government's request. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 maintained a fragile peace until fighting escalated again this year. This conflict has become a front in the broader US-Israeli war against Iran, with the Houthis intensifying attacks on Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude oil exporter.

Yemen is already facing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, and renewed fighting could further deteriorate conditions for civilians.