{
  "id": 16483788,
  "title": "Yemeni forces intercept Houthi weapons being smuggled from coast",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/yemeni-forces-intercept-houthi-weapons-being-smuggled-from-coast-16483788",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-25T13:18:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/25/yemeni-forces-intercept-houthi-weapons-being-smuggled-from-coast/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Yemeni security forces have apprehended 13 individuals suspected of belonging to a Houthi gang and seized a truck loaded with weapons, ammunition, and explosives smuggled into Shabwa province, according to a statement released by the governor's office on Sunday. Shabwa Governor Awad Al Wazir, who also leads the provincial security committee, disclosed that the operation was carried out following surveillance and intelligence gathering as fighting continues between the Yemeni government and Iran-backed Houthis. Early investigations revealed that the weapons were transported by boat and handed over to members of the cell along the southern Yemeni coast. The shipment was intended for distribution to the Iran-aligned Houthis, as per a report submitted to the governor. The seized cargo included sniper rifles, ammunition, improvised explosive devices described by authorities as highly destructive, and various types of projectiles. Ongoing investigations aim to uncover the details of the smuggling operation, identify its broader network, and determine additional suspects, the report added. The seizure occurred days after a Houthi ballistic missile strike against Rapid Intervention Forces in Shabwa, killing 77 people and wounding 195. The Houthis confirmed the attack, attributing it to Saudi forces managed by Saudi officers. The Iran-backed group claimed that Saudi personnel were among the casualties. Al Wazir urged security and military units to boost readiness, enhance surveillance and inspections along land and maritime routes, and improve coordination and intelligence-sharing to thwart further smuggling and infiltration attempts. Recent Houthi attacks have targeted government-held sites, including Aden airport and the presidential palace in the interim capital, resulting in the death of five security personnel. Yemeni government forces launched a month-long campaign to recapture Houthi-held areas, making progress near the strategically important Bab Al Mandeb strait, while the rebels continue to besiege Taiz, a key stronghold of anti-Houthi forces in southern Yemen. Shabwa, an energy-rich province on Yemen's southern coast, hosts the Balhaf liquefied natural gas site, the country's largest industrial investment. The Yemeni civil war, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, saw a Saudi-led military intervention in 2015 at the government's request. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 brought a fragile calm until renewed fighting erupted this year. The conflict has become an additional battleground 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 currently facing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, and renewed fighting threatens to deteriorate conditions for civilians even further.",
  "summary": "Yemeni security forces have arrested 13 alleged members of a Houthi cell and seized a lorry carrying weapons, ammunition and explosives smuggled by sea into Shabwa province, the governor’s office said on Sunday. Shabwa Governor Awad Al Wazir, who also heads the provincial security committee, said the operation followed surveillance and intelligence-gathering efforts as fighting rages between the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Ajel English",
        "title": "Shabwa governor: Houthi cell of 13 arrested with truckload of weapons",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/shabwa-governor-houthi-cell-of-13-arrested-with-truckload-of-weapons",
        "published": "2026-10-25T11:09:54.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}