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Iran smuggling hi-tech weapons to Houthi militia
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] In recent months, Iran has increased its role in the war in Yemen, according to regional and Western sources, by sending hi- tech weapons and military advisers to the Houthi
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews ...
militias.

A senior Iranian official revealed that Qassim Soleimani, Commander of the Quds Force, met with senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials in Tehran last month to discuss ways to "empower" the Houthis with weapons, ammunition and military counseling.

According to many sources, Iran’s support for the Houthis has increased significantly in recent months, despite Iran’s persistent attempts to deny it.

In a recent Rooters report on Tehran, sources maintained that Qassim Soleimani and senior IRGC officials agreed to increase aid to the Houthi militias through training, weapons and financial support.

Strenghthen grip
A former senior Iranian security official was quoted by Rooters as saying that Iranian regime is planning to assist the Houthi militia in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic...
to strengthen their grip in the region, similar to the Hezbollah militia in Leb.

Iran is using ships to deliver supplies either directly to Yemen or through Somalia to circumvent the coalition’s efforts.

After the ships arrive in the region, the cargo is transported to small fishing boats that are difficult to monitor on Yemen’s 2,700-kilometer coastline.

The report asserted that the Houthi militia received several hi-tech weapons recently such as the Kornet anti-tank guided missile which were not available in Yemen before.

In January, the Houthis launched an attack on a Saudi frigate through a remote-controlled boat. A Coast Guard boat was also destroyed near Mukalla region this month by mines laid by the Houthis.

The equipment that was smuggled included long-range ballistic missiles and drones with explosive warheads.

In addition to weapons, Tehran sends Afghan and Arab Shiite experts to train the Houthi militia and to act as advisers, including Afghans who fought in Syria under the Quds Force.


Posted by: Fred 2017-03-23
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=484046