FACT CHECK: Image Claims To Show Hit US Destroyer Hit By Yemen

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

An image shared on X claims to show a U.S. destroyer hit by Yemen.

Verdict: False

The image appears to be from a Chinese amphibious assault ship doing a smoke screen test in 2023.

Fact Check:

Just this past Thursday, Houthi rebels hit a commercial ship and one civilian was airlifted off, according to NBC News. The U.S has targeted the Yemen group’s radar, but they have yet to acknowledge the loss, according to AP News.

The X post claims to show a photo of an American ship attacked by Yemen. The image shows a large ship billowing smoke.

One user wrote, “Yemen Has Targeted an American destroyer in the Red Sea!!! W😎w🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥.”

This claim is false. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the video is from 2023 and likely shows a Chinese amphibious assault ship. An X account claimed that the video shows a Type 071 Chinese amphibious assault ship.

 

“Reports earlier that Hull Number: (980) also known as the Longhu Shan, a Type 071 Amphibious-Transport Dock with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy had suffered a Engineering Casualty and was on Fire off the Coast now appear to be False, with the Video reported to actually show a Test of the Ship’s Smoke Screen which would be used during Amphibious Operations,” the tweet reads.

The Houthi rebels claimed to have targeted two civilian commercial vessels and an American destroyer on June 16, according to Reuters. A spokesperson for the group stated these attacks are in support of Palestine as they target ships with connections to Israel, according to The Express Tribune.

Check Your Fact reached out to the Department of Defense for comment. (RELATED: Image Purporting To Show Fire In Rafah Near Tent Camp Is AI-Generated)

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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