A photo has been circulating on social media, claiming that it documents “the Yemeni armed forces engaging in a violent battle” recently.
Kashif verified the image via “Google Images” tool, and found that it is old and was incorrectly linked to the US-British coalition launching two raids on Hodeidah airport. The image shows the Houthis targeting of the “Marilyn Luanda” ship in January 2024.
Al Arabiya TV website published the photo on 27/1/2024 in a report with the following title: “Red Sea: Extinguishing the fire on the ‘Marlin Luanda’ and exchanging fire with a boat.” The photo description read: “The Houthis are targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies.”
The report stated that the tanker, Marlin Luanda, caught fire after being hit by an anti-ship missile launched by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden.
The Yemen Now News website also published the circulated photo on 27/1/2024, and stated that it dates back to the outbreak of fire in the British ship that was targeted by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden. The British Navy added that it faced difficulty in extinguishing the fire resulting from the explosion of the fifth tank.
The official spokesperson of the Houthis, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announced in a statement dated 26/1/2024, that the Yemeni armed forces “carried out an operation targeting the British oil tanker MARLIN LUANDA in the Gulf of Aden, with a number of naval missiles.”
The US-British coalition launched two raids on Hodeidah International Airport in western Yemen on 24/10/2024.
| Sources of Claim | Sources of Verification |
Iranian media doctor Dr. Sh. Abu Hashem Al-Zouari, a volcano of a media network (Ansar Allah) | Al Arabiya TV yemennownews Saba Al Jazeera |
