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| Arabia |
| Houthis capture the UAE ship Rwabi |
| 2022-01-04 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. Commentary by Russian journalist Boris Rozhin [ColonelCassad] The Houthis hijacked the Emirati ship Rwabi, which was transporting a cargo of medicines and equipment (according to the Saudi coalition) from the captured island of Socotra to the Saudi port of Jizan. Rwabi was captured in the Red Sea near Hodeidah. The vessel itself is a small transport with a displacement of 1666 tons built in 2021. Pro-Iranian sources report that these actions were a response to the capture by the Saudis and emirates of ships with humanitarian supplies for Yemen, which had permission to pass from the UN. The next stage of escalation, if the parties raise rates, is attacks on Saudi tankers in the Red Sea with the help of cruise missiles and ATGM boats (although at the moment the informal agreement concluded several years ago in Aden not to touch the tankers is being respected). It is worth noting that the ships of the Saudi coalition sail off the west coast of Yemen without an escort, which makes them vulnerable not only to missile attacks, but also to capture by boats. The coalition warships are trying to stay away from the coast, after serious losses in 2016-2018, when several warships were seriously damaged after missile hits, and one patrol catamaran completely burned down after a missile hit. In this case, the Houthis again recalled the vulnerability of enemy ships on one of the central transport arteries of the world. PS. In addition to the commemorative events that swept across the Shiite world in honor of Qassem Soleimani, killed by the Americans, a kamikaze drone attack on the American Victory Base in Baghdad followed today. Air defense systems shot down two drones. It can be expected that attacks on American assets in Iraq will continue in the coming days, especially since a number of groups have already announced that all the American military and its infrastructure are legitimate targets in the fight against foreign occupation of Iraq. PS2. The Houthis showed a photo from the hijacked ship. The Saudi coalition itself lied about medicines - "Rwabi" transported army wheeled vehicles. Drone footage of the top deck of the Rwabi: |
| Posted by:badanov |