Al-Ghaydah (South24)

Yesterday, the customs authorities in Al-Mahra governorate, South Yemen, announced that they had seized a quantity of thermal anti-tank and armored vehicles missiles at the Shahn border port.

A statement by the customs stated that the missiles were coming from the Sultanate of Oman and were hidden in electrical equipment boxes.

Salim Aqeel, the customs director at Shahn port, said: "Customs employees detected 52 missiles that were hidden inside four boxes after electrical generators were removed and missiles shipped in their place."

The customs authorities said that this shipment of qualitative missiles "was on their way to the Houthi militia."

A source, who requested anonymity, told "South24" that the shipment came from the Free Zone in the Wilayat of Al-Mazyona in the Dhofar region, Oman.

It should be noted that the border guards in Al-Mahra and the Arab Coalition forces had thwarted several smuggling operations of different types of weapons during the past years.

Al-Mahra eastern Aden is considered the most active arms smuggling route for the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Previous reports accused the Sultanate of Oman of covering up arms smuggling operations to the rebel group in Yemen.

Read more: Al-Mahra: Another Theatre of Tussles in the Complicated Yemeni War Read 

This smuggling attempt comes less than two weeks after a UN Security Council resolution classified the Houthis as a "terrorist group" and approved the expansion of the arms embargo on the entire group.

The Russian-made thermal missiles are among the most modern anti-tank missiles. These missiles have a high advantage on the battlefield. 

South24 Center for News and Studies

Photo: The seized thermal missile shipment, 11 Feb, 2022. Al-Mahra (Yemen Customs)