A small livestock carrier, Merinos Livestock, sailed near the Yemeni coastline on Thursday, en route from Bosaso, Somalia, to the Port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Local authorities briefly detained the vessel due to its position, rather than a targeted action by Houthi (Ansar Allah) forces.
Maritime security sources report that the ship disabled its Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions, raising suspicion and likely prompting the interception. Vessels navigating Yemen’s volatile waters often turn off AIS to avoid interference by armed groups, especially the Ansar Allah militia led by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Yemeni Coast Guard detained the vessel, but no group has officially claimed responsibility for the brief detention. The situation around the waters remains unstable.
Sources indicate that authorities held Merinos Livestock on suspicion but later released it. The vessel was near the Hanish Islands, about 30 nautical miles northwest of Mocha, Yemen, when officials intercepted it.
