Incident Report - The Yemeni government has warned fishermen....

Incident Report – 7^th August 2018

The Yemeni government has warned fishermen against coming closer to ships of a Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-allied Houthis in the country. The warning comes amid growing threats by Houthi militants to international navigation.

Last month, Houthis attacked two Saudi oil tankers off Yemen’s West Coast, prompting the kingdom to halt the crude shipments through the Red Sea Bab Al Mandeb Strait, a suspension that was reversed on Saturday 4^th August. The suspension was reversed after the Saudi-Led coalition took the “necessary measures” to ensure the security of the shipments through the area.

The Yemeni government said in a statement, carried by the official news agency Saba, that Houthis use fishing boat as a camouflage in attacking commercial vessels.

“Presence of fishing boats in operation zones of the coalition vessels is exploited by Houthis in threatening sea navigation in the south part of the Red Sea and Bab Al Mandeb,” the statement said.

The Yemeni government instructed the ministries of the interior and fisheries to take the necessary measures to enforce the warning and make the fishermen aware of areas where they can operate safely in territorial waters.

This news comes amid UN attempts to invite the warring parties to meet in Geneva in September.