Two Photos Falsely Shared As Weapons Found by Al-Houthis Onboard UAE Flagged Ship
The Claim
The two photos show military equipment the al-Houthis had found onboard the UAE flagged ship “Rawabi.”
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Emerging story
Facebook and Twitter accounts have recently shared two photos claiming they showed military equipment seized by the al-Houthi group onboard the UAE flagged ship called “Rawabi.”
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s team investigated the circulated claim and found that it was misleading. The two photos are outdated; they do now show equipment seized by the al-Houthis onboard the UAE flagged ship.
The first photo was first shared online in 2013 in an online forum dedicated to gun enthusiasts. The photo was shared with a caption that reads: “PKM’s, but I think they’re Malcolmar’s.”
On the other hand, the second photo was shared by Arab media outlets on June 30, 2020. The photo was shared with a group of photos claiming the weapons were part of an Iranian shipment to the al-Houthi group thwarted by the Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen’s governorates of Hadhramaut and Al Mahrah.
Description: The screenshot clearly shows the date and time the photo was shared: June 30, 2020.
The claim follows the Saudi-led coalition’s announcement that the UAE flagged vessel Rawabi was seized by the al-Houthi group in Yemen. The coalition said that the vessel carried equipment for powering and operating the Saudi field hospital in Socotra Island. The Houthis’ spokesman said that the ship carried military equipment and was UAE-flagged.
Translated by Ahmed N. A. Almassri
