Old video of explosion at petrol station falsely linked to 'US, UK attacks on Yemen in 2024'

Published on January 25, 2024 at 03:46
Updated on January 25, 2024 at 09:20
3 min read
By AFP Indonesia

Shortly after US and British forces launched strikes against Huthi targets in Yemen on January 11, 2024, an old video was shared on social media in several languages with a false claim that it showed an attack in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. The video, which has racked up thousands of views in false posts, in fact shows a September 2023 explosion at a gas station in Sanaa. News reports said the blast was most likely caused by an electric short circuit.

The 14-second video, which shows an explosion during nighttime, was uploaded on Facebook on January 12, 2024.

The post's Indonesian-language caption reads: "Latest update: the US and UK bombed South Yemen last night a a response to their support for Palestinians and blocking US ships from passing through the red sea."

The clip has been viewed more than 150 times.

Screenshot of false post, taken on January 22, 2024

The post was shared a day after US and British forces launched a barrage of strikes against the Huthis in Yemen on January 11, 2024, hitting the capital Sanaa and other parts of the country.

Since Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel's war in Gaza in response, the Huthi rebels have stepped up their attacks on international maritime traffic in the Red Sea, through which 12 percent of global shipping trade normally passes. The Huthis -- who control swathes of Yemen -- claim to be acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza .

The video has racked up a total of more than 19,200 views after it was shared alongside a similar claim on Facebook, SnackVideo, Twitter, as well as on TikTok here and here.

Similar posts also circulated in Arabic and English.

Petrol station explosion

A reverse image search on Google found that the same video was uploaded on a Yemeni-based YouTube channel on September 3, 2023 -- months before the recent strikes in 2024 (archived link).

"An explosion at the Mufazer petrol station in Sanaa," the video's Arabic-language title says.

The footage was also shared on Facebook by a Yemeni-based user on the same day, with a caption saying it shows a blast at a filling station in Sanaa (archived link).

The clip appeared in a video report published by the Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua on September 5, 2023, saying it shows a "massive explosion at a gas station in the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital" (archived link).

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left), the genuine YouTube video (centre) and the genuine video from the Xinhua report (right):

Screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left), the genuine YouTube video (centre) and the genuine video from the Xinhua report (right)

Another Xinhua report cited a statement from the Huthis, saying that "the fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit at the station, which triggered the blast of a gas trailer in the station's yard" (archived link).

The Muzafer petrol station explosion was also reported by the Sanaa-based Yemen Press Agency on September 4, 2023 (archived link).

AFP has debunked another misinformation about the US-UK strikes in Yemen here.

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