Clashes in Al-Mahrah After Senior Houthi Leader Arrested During Smuggling Attempt at Sarfait Border Crossing
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Fierce clashes broke out early Tuesday in Hawf District, eastern Al-Mahrah province in eastern Yemen, between Yemeni security forces and gunmen believed to be affiliated with the Houthi group, following a security operation that led to the arrest of senior Houthi figure Mohammed Ahmed Ali Al-Zaidi, a member of the group’s political bureau.
Security sources reported that Al-Zaidi was apprehended while attempting to illegally cross into Oman via the Sarfait border crossing, in possession of classified documents and electronic devices believed to be linked to an intelligence mission for the Houthis.
Shortly after the arrest, Houthi elements launched an armed assault on Yemeni army and security units in Hawf in an attempt to free Al-Zaidi. The attack resulted in the death of Brigadier General Abdullah Zaid, the commander of the mission and a senior military leader in Al-Mahrah, and the injury of several soldiers, including officer Yahya Al-Washli.
According to local sources, Yemeni authorities deployed reinforcements to the area, as armed groups remain active in parts of the mountainous roads of the district.
The Sarfait border crossing was temporarily closed by local authorities for security reasons.
In a related development, a military convoy of 10 vehicles dispatched from the city of Al-Ghaydah to secure the transfer of the detained leader came under ambush. The attackers are suspected to be affiliated with the so-called “Sit-in Committee” led by Sheikh Ali Salem Al-Huraizi, who has denied any involvement in the incident.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the details of the smuggling attempt and identify those involved in the ambush and assault on government forces, amid a state of heightened security alert in Al-Mahrah, a province bordering Oman.
