Yemen Monitor / Reports Unit / Exclusive:
The US has launched a second air campaign against the Houthis in their controlled areas since March 15, resulting in hundreds of casualties, including dozens of civilians. However, another tragic aspect of this conflict is that Houthi rockets and drones are also crashing into civilian homes as the group attempts to develop air defense missiles.
At least four documented incidents involved Houthi rockets and drones falling on homes and farmlands. Residents and sources verified these cases, which are detailed in this report.
The U.S. faces accusations of civilian casualties, such as the incident at Ras Issa port, where over 230 oil port workers in northern Hudaydah were killed or injured. However, some of the incidents appear to involve locally-made missiles.
Houthi missiles, which rely on Iranian weapons technology, consistently suffer from technical malfunctions, according to military officials speaking to Yemen Monitor. These flaws often cause drones and missiles to crash in areas under Houthi control.
On March 20, the Houthis claimed to have shot down a U.S. drone in Dhamar province, over the rural Ma’bar area south of Sana’a. However, local residents told Yemen Monitor the next day that the Houthis quickly moved to collect the wreckage. In the morning, locals were surprised to find remnants of a locally-made ballistic missile on their farmland.
“They recognized the external casing of the missile and confirmed it was found in the fields, with no signs of Western technology or wiring,” they said, sharing images of the wreckage.
On April 9, residents in Amran province reported a ballistic missile crash in their area and shared photos and videos showing the remains.
In Al-Mahwit province, on April 21, the Houthis claimed a U.S. airstrike targeted Jabal Mahwit district. The next morning, residents found ballistic missile debris marked “256” in their fields. The Houthis later arrested six individuals who had photographed the wreckage.
In another widely disputed incident among civilians, a strike in Farwah neighborhood near Old Sana’a killed and injured 40 people. Residents reported that the Houthis quickly sealed off the area and detained anyone attempting to film the missile wreckage.
One resident told Yemen Monitor he rushed to the scene right after the explosion and found minimal wreckage. A local minibus was destroyed, but there was no significant crater, as typically seen with airstrikes. Instead, the damage resembled the result of multiple hand grenades exploding simultaneously.
Residents said the same about a presumed strike in the Majel Al-Damma cemetery behind Al-Ahli club headquarters in Sana’a.
The Houthis barred international and independent media from accessing Farwah neighborhood, documenting the damage, or interviewing victims. They also detained most individuals who posted images of the airstrikes or the resulting destruction.
The Houthis do not publicly admit to their weapons malfunctioning in areas under their control—whether during current U.S. strikes or throughout the civil war that began in September 2014. However, such incidents are privately acknowledged and whispered about.
Developing Air Defense Missiles
A military official said missile signals disappear from Houthi military tracking systems when they malfunction, indicating a crash. This prompts Houthi military teams to collect the debris for analysis and to identify the fault.
According to military sources, the Houthis are attempting to develop air defense systems to shoot down fighter jets, but their missiles often fall short during testing. They have, however, succeeded in downing American MQ-9 drones, according to Pentagon officials.
All sources in this report requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic.
