Yemen Navy Seizes Boat Packed With Drone Parts Off Lahj
Yemen’s internationally recognized government said its naval forces intercepted a smuggling boat on Sunday off the country’s southern coast near Lahj province, seizing components used to build drones, explosives, and missiles. Officials said the craft was headed toward territory held by the Houthi movement and was stopped after intelligence pointed patrols to its route. Three suspects were detained, and the cargo was moved to security facilities in Aden for forensic checks.
A Yemeni security official described the haul as “a large quantity of sensitive military components, including batteries and drone operating system parts, which were camouflaged inside plumbing materials in an apparent attempt to evade detection.” Authorities said the shipment appears tied to a wider pipeline that feeds the Houthis with equipment for their drone and missile programs.
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The seizure comes as Yemen’s war grinds through its second decade. The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, seized Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year to restore the government. Since then, Houthi forces have expanded their arsenal of one-way attack drones and ballistic and cruise missiles, drawing repeated accusations from Yemeni and regional officials of maritime smuggling through Red Sea and Gulf of Aden routes. United Nations experts have documented patterns of illicit transfers to armed groups in Yemen over multiple reporting cycles, even as sanctions and patrols tightened.
Houthi authorities did not immediately comment on Sunday’s report. Yemeni officials say more interdictions are planned as patrols focus on small vessels using coastal inlets and civilian cover cargo. The latest bust, they argue, shows that even limited naval assets can disrupt supply lines when paired with timely intelligence and coordinated pursuit.
