Tensions are rising in the Red Sea, where the United States established a multinational naval force a month ago after a series of attacks by Yemeni rebels on ships they say are linked to Israel.
In this context, a picture was spread on Arabic-language social media sites that was said to show an American drone shot down by the Houthis. But this photo was published in 2020 as a Saudi reconnaissance plane that was shot down in Yemen.
The picture shows what appears to be the wreckage of a drone.
The accompanying comments on Facebook and X stated that this photo shows an American plane that was recently shot down by the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Screen capture on January 2, 2024 from the X website
The appearance of these posts comes with escalating tension in the Red Sea, where in recent weeks the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels targeted commercial ships that they said were linked to Israel, in light of the ongoing bombing and military operations in the Gaza Strip.
About a month ago, the United States established a multinational naval force to protect navigation in the Red Sea to confront Houthi attacks in this vital global corridor.
On the other hand, the Iranian destroyer “Alborz” entered the Red Sea through the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to what Tasnim News Agency announced on Monday, in light of the high level of tension.
In the same context, the US Army announced, on Sunday, the killing of the crews of three boats belonging to the Houthi rebels that attacked a container ship in the southern Red Sea, while the Houthis spoke of “the martyrdom and loss of ten members of their naval force.”
The truth of the picture
But the picture circulating has nothing to do with what is currently happening in the Red Sea.
Searching for the image on search engines shows that it was published in the year 2020, which denies that it is recent.
The photo was published on local and foreign news sites on December 22, 2020, as showing a Saudi reconnaissance plane shot down by the Houthis in Yemen.
A screenshot taken on January 2, 2024 from the Yemeni September 26 website
Starting in 2014, Yemen witnessed a war between the Houthi rebels and the forces loyal to the government, which escalated with the intervention of Saudi Arabia at the head of the military coalition in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government after the rebels took control of large areas, including Sanaa.
Saudi Arabia is holding peace talks with the Houthi rebels, after the resumption of relations between Riyadh and Tehran, the two competing regional powers in the Middle East.
The war in Yemen left hundreds of thousands dead, and millions were displaced, according to the United Nations. More than three-quarters of the population depends on international aid, which continues to decline.
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2024-01-02 20:14:37
