British ship targeted in Gulf of Aden carried ammonia: Exclusive
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Yemeni sources have confirmed that the recent operation that downed the MQ9 UAV over Hodeidah took the US by surprise.
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This handout satellite picture released by Maxar Technologies on November 28, 2023, shows the Israeli-linked Galaxy Leader ship, that was captured by Yemeni Armed Forces on November 19, 2023. (Handout Maxar Technologies / AFP)
Yemeni sources told Al Mayadeen that the UK ship RUBYMAR which was targeted by the Yemeni Armed Forces in the Gulf of Aden was carrying Ammonia.
"As Yemeni naval weapons hit the ship, it caught fire and began sinking in the sea after attempts to rescue it failed", the sources added.
The same sources stressed that the British ship was targeted with new precision weapons that have not yet been unveiled.
Also, private sources informed Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Yemen that the MQ9 UAV that was downed over Hodeidah was targeted with new defensive weapons, despite its development after a number of MQ9s had been downed before.
Furthermore, sources have confirmed that the downing of the drone took the US by surprise.
In the meantime, the insurance firm for the British vessel attacked by Yemeni Armed forces conveyed to Reuters that the owner and operator of the ship are considering alternatives for towing it from the Gulf of Aden.
This comes shortly after the Naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces conducted a military operation last night, targeting the British ship RUBYMAR in the Gulf of Aden, utilizing several appropriate naval missiles. The spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Yahya Saree, reported that the operation resulted in catastrophic damage to the ship, putting it at risk of sinking.
Saree reiterated that the operation was carried out in support of the oppressed Palestinian people enduring aggression and siege, and in response to the American-British aggression against Yemen.
The Yemeni Armed Forces emphasized that as part of the operation, they ensured the safe evacuation of the ship's crew, underscoring that all personnel had reached safety.
US intelligence-collection asset MQ9 downed in Hodeidah
The YAF spokesperson also confirmed that the Yemeni Air Defense successfully downed the US intelligence-collection asset which also serves against dynamic execution targets, the MQ9 Reaper UAV in Hodeidah. The US military asset "carrying out hostile missions against our country on behalf of the Zionist entity" was shot down using the appropriate rockets.
"The Yemeni armed forces will not hesitate to take more military measures and carry out more qualitative operations against all hostile targets in defense of beloved Yemen and in confirmation of the position of support for the Palestinian people," Saree stressed, adding "The operations of the Yemeni Armed Forces in the Red and Arab Bahrain will not stop until the aggression stops and the siege on the Gaza Strip is lifted."
It is noteworthy that this is the third high-tech drone shot down by the Axis of Resistance since October 7. The MQ-9 drone is capable of carrying multiple missiles and has been reportedly used in high-profile assassination plots conducted by the United States in the region. The system costs the US around $32 million.
The fact that multiple factions of the Axis of Resistance have now proved their ability to take down the high-tech system sheds light on the Resistance's ability to confront the world's most advanced military, using available and limited resources.
Read next: What the West needs to know about Yemen's Ansar Allah
