Aden (South24 Center)

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The Southern Giants Forces announced on Tuesday evening, July 14, that they had intercepted a boat in the Bab Al-Mandab Strait carrying materials and equipment used in weapons manufacturing and reportedly bound for the Houthi-controlled governorate of Hodeidah.

The forces said the operation followed “precise intelligence monitoring and tracking,” adding that the boat’s crew, whom they described as Houthi-affiliated smugglers, had been arrested.

They said the relevant authorities were continuing to inspect and secure the seized shipment and would disclose details of its contents once the investigation was completed.

Video footage released by the Southern Giants Forces showed the moment the boat was intercepted in Bab Al-Mandab, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

The forces said the operation was part of continuing efforts to secure Yemen’s coastline, combat smuggling, and disrupt maritime supply routes to the Houthis.

The seizure is the second of its kind in the same area within 15 days. On June 30, the Southern Giants Forces announced that they had intercepted another boat in Bab Al-Mandab carrying equipment intended for the manufacture of Houthi drones and explosive-laden boats. That shipment was also reportedly heading to the coast of Hodeidah.

The earlier shipment included a hydraulic drilling machine, industrial servers, electronic chips used to operate drones, high-precision GPS navigation devices, engines, and equipment related to the manufacture of explosive-laden boats.

A technical review of images of the June shipment by South24 Center found that it also contained navigation and control equipment linked to unmanned systems, industrial communication devices, digital manufacturing components, electronic boards, batteries, and mechanical parts that could be used in manufacturing or testing drones and other unmanned platforms.

The Southern Giants Forces said at the time that three Houthi-affiliated sailors aboard the vessel had been arrested.

The two seizures underscore the strategic importance of Bab Al-Mandab in monitoring maritime smuggling routes into Houthi-controlled areas, as security in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden remains a major regional and international concern linked to the war in Yemen.