Al Houthi-linked Iranian sailors destroyed documents before being arrested, investigators

By Nasser Arrabyee/06/11/2009


The Iranian sailors who were held off the Yemeni coasts on suspicions of delivering weapons for Al Houthi rebels, threw their mobiles and labtops to the sea before the Yemeni naval forces arrested them late last month, said the Yemeni invigilators Friday.

"The Iranian crew of the ship destroyed the SIMs of the mobiles and all documents in their lab tops and some of the ship's devices so that nobody can understand where the ship came from and where it was going," The state-run media quoted an unidentified investigator say saying.

An Iranian ship laden with weapons believed to be on its way to Al Houthi rebels was seized on October 26th, 2009, off the coasts of the Midi harbour in the far north west of Yemen. The 6-member crew, five Iranians and Indian, are now under investigations in the Yemeni capital Sana'a. The Iranian embassy in Sana'a denied at the time that the ship was carrying weapons.

A team of experts was sent from Sana'a to Midi to collect more information about the ship, called Yohan 1, and its cargo and why it was there at the time of war. The Midi harbour is only a few kilometers away from Al Malahaid, the western frontline of fighting between Al Houthi rebels and the government troops.

Meanwhile, the army says Friday it is making progress against Al Houthi rebels in the three main frontlines of Sa'ada, Harf Sufyan and Al Malahaid.
The army said in a statement, the real battle has not begun yet, threatening with unexpected surprises against the rebels over the coming few days.

"The real and comprehensive battle has not begun yet against the rebels and terrorists of Al Houthi, and coming days will be full of surprises that will shock them and defeat them," said the statement. The weapons and ammunitions of the rebels are running out they can not compensate anything that is run out because of the blockade and continuous air strikes on their movement and roads of supply, the statement said. Three cars, for instance, laden with supply materials were destroyed last night in Dhuaeeb area west of Sa'ada.

This statement came one day after the Saudi air force and artillery pounded Al Houthi rebels killing and injuring dozens of them in the Saudi post of Jabal Al Dukhan in Jaizan area south of the Kingdom where the rebels earlier attacked the Saudi forces.