Houthi hijacking of UAE-flagged ship is ‘flagrant violation’ of international law: Arab coalition

Houthi hijacking of UAE-flagged ship is ‘flagrant violation’ of international law: Arab coalition

RIYADH: The hijacking of a UAE-flagged cargo ship off the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah is a “flagrant violation” of the principles of international law, the Arab coalition said on Tuesday. The Rawabi had been transporting medical equipment from the remote Yemeni island of Socotra in the Arabian Sea to the Saudi port of Jazan when armed Houthis attacked it on Sunday, the coalition said on Monday. The coalition demanded that the ship and all of its cargo be released from the port of Salif. It warned that launching piracy and hijacking operations from any port in Yemen would make it a legitimate military target.