Arab Coalition's naval siege on Yemen coast

Navies of the Saudi-led Arab Coalition continue to besiege the Yemeni coasts to cut off any supplies to the rebel Houthi militia and forces loyal to ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The coalition's naval vessels are securing Yemeni ports to ensure delivery of humanitarian supplies to the Yemeni people affected by the developments.

Assault teams of the vessels intercepted any boats found carrying arms and banned material while trying to reach the Red Sea port of Hodeidah as the coalition's naval forces continued to play an effective role in securing international shipping lines through Bab El Mandeb Strait, a vital international shipping lane for more than 40 per cent of international oil trade, including oil exports from the Arabian Gulf.

In the past few months, the coalition's warships, including the UAE's Al Dhafra, sailed to the strategic waterway along the Yemeni territorial waters stretching more than 1,000km, to lay the naval siege requested by Yemen's legitimate government.

The captain of Al Dhafra said, "The warship, using modern technology and aerial support, is conducting round-the-clock surveillance of the Yemeni coasts. Highly-trained assault teams rush to board any boats to inspect them for suspicious cargo and passengers. These boats are either seized or cleared to continue sailing to their destinations."

An officer from the assault teams stressed that the Arab Coalition's naval siege has deprived the rebel Houthis and pro-Saleh militias of the use of seaports like Hodeidah and Mokha to transport military reinforcements or receive foreign arms shipments.

The officer explained that the assault teams intercepted the boats carrying arms bound for the Houthi rebels. The naval forces helped in securing other seaports like Aden, which is being used for delivering humanitarian aid to Yemenis.



 

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.