NYN | Video
On Thursday evening, Sanaa government forces released new footage documenting the boarding and burning of the Greek ship “Sounion,” which was targeted a week ago after its owner violated the ban on entry to ports in occupied Palestine.
The footage, broadcast by the military media of Sanaa forces, shows Sanaa naval troops boarding the “Sounion” ship in the open sea and moving through its various sections.
The footage also captures the soldiers planting and detonating explosives at several locations along the ship’s main deck, including showing holes on its side caused by a remote attack before the boarding. The scenes were filmed from multiple angles using drones, providing comprehensive coverage of the operation.
مشاهد اقتحام وإحراق السفينة اليونانية (SOUNION) في البحر الأحمر والتي قامت الشركة المالكة لها بإنتهاك قرار حظر الدخول إلى موانئ فلسطين المحتلة pic.twitter.com/U6U56ME759
— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) August 29, 2024
The release of this new footage came after a speech by the leader of the Houthi (Ansar Allah) group, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, who for the first time revealed details of the ship’s boarding operation. He explained that two teams from the naval forces executed the operations in two stages, destroying the ship’s cargo after rigging it with explosives and detonating it.
Al-Houthi pointed out that the destruction of the “Sounion” ship is documented in its grand and impactful scene, which he claimed proves the falsehood of U.S. claims about deterring Yemeni operations in support of Palestine.
In a related context, the European Union’s “Aspides” military mission confirmed on Thursday that the ship has been burning for six days, with no oil leaks reported.
On Wednesday evening, the Sanaa government announced that they would allow the ship to be salvaged after receiving communications from several countries, primarily European nations, according to statements from Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the official spokesperson for the Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement and head of the Sanaa negotiation delegation.
In a statement to *Reuters*, Abdul-Salam denied that allowing the “Sounion” ship to be salvaged was a temporary truce for their operations, responding to reports suggesting they had agreed to a temporary ceasefire alongside approving the salvage of the Greek ship.
The “Sounion” is the third oil tanker owned by the Greek company Delta Tankers to be attacked this month, following earlier attacks on the “Delta Atlantica” and “Delta Blue.”
According to *Vanguard*, the reason for targeting Delta’s tankers is that some of its ships have recently reached Israel. According to the security company, the “Delta Star” arrived in Israel last July, as confirmed by a recent investigation published by the *Ikat* platform.
Last Friday evening, August 23, Sanaa government forces released footage of the first operation involving the boarding and burning of the “Sounion” ship, which the owner violated by entering ports in occupied Palestine. The forces vowed to continue targeting ships associated with “Israel” in support of Gaza.
The footage broadcast by the military media of Sanaa forces showed moments of large and simultaneous explosions on the deck of the “Sounion” ship, leading to a massive fire onboard.
The statement accompanying the video read: “Based on the Yemeni Armed Forces’ decision to ban entry to ports in occupied Palestine and in response to directives from the Leader to escalate, our forces targeted the Greek ship (SOUNION) after its owner violated the ban by entering one of the occupied Palestinian ports.”
Sanaa forces warned global companies against violating the ban imposed by them, threatening to target any ships that breach this decision.
They also confirmed that “the next phase will be even more severe and punishing for violating companies’ ships, as well as those associated with the Israeli, American, and British enemies, as long as the Zionist enemy continues its aggression and blockade on the Palestinian people.”
The statement added: “We advise all ships passing through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean not to tamper with data or hide their identities to avoid falling under suspicion.”
Sanaa forces concluded their statement by thanking the companies that complied with the ban and kept their ships away from the occupied Palestinian ports, confirming that the ships of those companies can “pass safely within the operational range of the Yemeni Armed Forces.”
مشاهد لإحراق القوات البحرية اليمنية السفينة اليونانية SOUNION في البحر الأحمر والتي قامت الشركة المالكة لها بانتهاك قرار حظر الدخول إلى موانئ فسلطين المحتلة pic.twitter.com/7h34dJiz2U
— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) August 23, 2024
