[Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Sarea gives a statement after the U.S. announces the sinking of four Yemeni Naval vessels.]
💥AMERICAN AND YEMENI NAVIES CLASH IN THE RED SEA AFTER YEMENI NAVAL VESSELS TARGET ISRAELI COMMERCIAL VESSEL💥
United States Central Command reported earlier Sunday that "Iranian-backed Houthi" small boats targeted an Israeli commercial vessel in the Red Sea around 6:30am (Sana'a time) on Dec. 31st and a distress call was sent out, after which, helicopters were dispatched from the American military vessels, USS Eisenhower and Gravely.
According to the U.S. statement, issued on the social media platform X, four small Yemeni Naval vessels came within 20-meters of the commercial vessel, attempting to board the ship. Security teams on the commercial ship then engaged with the Yemeni vessels with small arms fire.
After the U.S. helicopters arrived, U.S. CENTCOM claims, the Yemeni Naval vessels fired on the U.S. helicopters, which returned fire, sinking the four small Yemeni Naval vessels.
The Yemeni Armed Forces didn't challenge this version of events, adding that 10 Yemeni Naval personnel were killed. However, in a video statement (above) issued by Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Sarea, the Yemeni side noted that the Yemeni vessels attempted repeatedly to contact the commercial vessel by radio, and issued several warning before engaging with the ship.
"The targeting process came (only) after the ship's refusal to respond to warning calls from the Yemeni Navy," Sarea said in the statement.
"The Yemeni Armed Forces confirms what was stated in her previous statements regarding the passage of all Israeli vessels or vessels headed to the ports of occupied Palestine. With its full concern for maritime navigation to all destinations except for the Israeli entity," General Sarea added.
Sarea goes on to caution other countries and advises them not to be drawn into any American plans aimed at igniting conflict in the Red Sea, and warned the Yemeni Armed Forces would "not hesitate to confront any aggression against our country and our people."
He goes on to call on the Yemeni people to be alert and prepare for all possibilities for the sake of confronting American aggression, and points to America's complicity in Israeli crimes as a supporter of the Israeli entity.
Previously, the Yemeni Armed Forces warned it would attack any Israeli or other commercial vessels headed to or from ports in occupied Palestine. This has enforced a blockade on the Israeli entity, preventing a large portion of Israeli commercial trade from taking place and doing serious harm to Israel's economy.
U.S. Forces claim the Ansarallah movement-led Yemeni Armed Forces have launched more than 100 drone and missile strikes targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea, resulting in the creation of a U.S.-led coation of mostly unenthusiastic Western-backers of the U.S. and Israel.
