Saudi-led coalition releases footage of operation targeting alleged Houthi arms smuggling

• Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said the operation targeted smuggling networks operating through organized criminal groups.
• The development comes as Yemen remains divided between rival authorities, with the Houthis retaining control over much of the
• country’s north, despite years of military intervention and efforts to secure a lasting political settlement.

The Saudi-led coalition has released footage showing what it described as an operation to track and target weapons shipments and maritime vessels allegedly involved in smuggling arms to Yemen’s Houthi movement.

Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki published the footage late Monday, saying the operation targeted weapons and maritime assets linked to smuggling networks operating through organized criminal groups to deliver arms to Houthi forces along Yemen’s coast.

The coalition did not specify in the statement how many vessels or weapons shipments were targeted, where the operation took place or whether any arrests or casualties were recorded.

The footage was presented as evidence of efforts to disrupt maritime supply routes that the coalition says are being used to strengthen the Houthis’ military capabilities.

Yemen war returns to full-scale fighting

The announcement comes as Yemen has plunged back into intensified fighting after years of a fragile lull. On Oct. 9, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg warned the Security Council that the country had returned to full-scale war, with clashes spreading across multiple front lines. 

مشاهد لعملية تتبّع واستهداف أسلحة مهرّبة ووسائط بحرية متورطة في تهريب الأسلحة إلى السواحل اليمنية لصالح الميليشيا الحوثية الإرهابية، من خلال جماعات الجريمة المنظمة. https://t.co/1Au6ZRpm6k

— المتحدث الرسمي باسم قوات التحالف (@CJFCSpox) October 19, 2026