Accounts on “X” published a photo of a huge explosion, claiming that it documents Yemen’s targeting of an American destroyer and three ships in the Arab Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The photo was accompanied by the following description: “Breaking: Yemen announces the targeting of an “American destroyer and three supply ships” in the Arab Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”
Kashif verified the image via “Google Images” tool and found that it is old and was incorrectly linked to a Yemeni military operation against an American destroyer and ships in the Arab Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The image shows Saudi Border Guards detonating a booby-trapped boat in the Red Sea in 2017.
On 26/4/2017, the “Al-Riyadh Newspaper – Breaking” account on “X” published a group of photos, including the circulated photo. The newspaper explained that the photos document the Border Guards in Jazan foiling an attempt to blow up a dock and a petroleum products distribution station affiliated with Saudi Aramco using an explosive boat.
Shehab News Agency website published the photo on 26/4/2017, in a report with the following title: “Saudi Arabia: Thwarting an attempt to blow up a petroleum station using a booby-trapped boat.”
The website stated that the Kingdom’s naval forces were able to blow up a boat in the Red Sea, which was intending to target a petroleum products distribution station in the Jazan region.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior published a picture of the boat, and stated that no people were on board and the boat was automatically control. It added that the boat was controlled after its engines were shot at and disabled before it approached its target.
The spokesman of the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announced in a statement on “X” on 1/12/2024 that “the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation against an American destroyer and three supply ships in the Arab Sea and the Gulf of Aden with 16 ballistic and winged missiles and a drone.”
| Sources of Claim | Sources of Verification |
Events in Syria, Advisor Dr. Shahla Al-Irani | Al-Riyadh Newspaper – Urgent Shehab News Agency Saudi Ministry of Interior Brigadier General Yahya Saree |
