Aden (South24) 

Two well-informed sources told "South24" that the arms shipments that arrived in Al-Mahra governorate last week, will go to the pro-government forces in Marib governorate, North Yemen.

Last Wednesday, the Israeli transport company ZIM delivered nearly 80 containers carrying weapons and military equipment on board the "Yangze Venus" ship, which carries the Marshall Islands flag, to the port of Nishtun on the border with the Sultanate of Oman.

An informed source told "South24" that the Saudi-led Coalition had authorized the entry of the arms shipment to Mahra. The source pointed out that the shipment was transported by an Israeli company to the internationally recognized government in Yemen and its affiliated forces in Marib. 

"South24" were not able to verify the exact destination of these weapons, whether they would be handed over to the new brigades recently formed by Saudi Arabia under the name of "Happy Yemen Brigades" or if they would go to the forces controlled by the Islah party.

According to the source, it is not clear from which country the weapons were supplied so far. However, "South24" investigation team had tracked the route of the Yangze Venus earlier, as marine data showed that the ship had originally left on December 25, from the Masan port in South Korea, where it carried out its logistical procedures (Port call), passing through In three Chinese ports and the port of Singapore in Singapore before it appeared in the middle of the Indian Ocean off the coast of South Yemen on January 29th.

The latest "logistics communication" site carried out by "Yangze Venus" according to ship tracking website (vesselfinder) – South24 

Although the battles on the fronts of the city of Marib, the last stronghold of the government in North Yemen, have calmed down in recent days, after the Southern Giants Brigades took control of the city of Harib, south of Marib on January 24. The arrival of these weapons could provoke more conflict during coming days.

Southern political sources fear that these weapons will be sold to the Houthis and extremist groups, or used to suppress Southerners in Hadramout.

Yesterday, the First Military District forces launched a massive crackdown, in an attempt to prevent a major demonstration, called for by the STC in the city of Seiyun.

Hadrami media said, on Monday, that several locomotives carrying containers of "weapons" came from the port of Nishtun and passed through the city of Tarim and other cities in Wadi Hadramout.

Hadramout21" local website published video clips of a" number of massive trucks carrying "weapon containers" in Wadi Hadramout. It was noted that the military police were escorting these trucks.

Last Friday, four trucks were subjected to an armed ambush in the Thamud area of Hadramout. The accident resulted in the death of a soldier and three drivers.

Yesterday, a local journalist told "South24" that an explosion occurred in the eastern Al-Ghaydah axis in Al-Mahra governorate. According to the source, it turned out that this was a drone attack that tried to target weapons trucks while they were in the military axis, without being damaged.

The flow of weapons to the various parties to the conflict in Yemen, including the Iranian proxy the Houthis, as one of the main reasons why the war has continued for the seventh consecutive year. The United Nations reports that more than 300,000 people are victims of the recent war in the impoverished country. 

South24 Center for News and Studies

Photo: Weapon trucks passed Monday, February 14, 2022, from the city of Hadramout, coming from Al-Mahra - Source: local media and activists (screenshot: South24)