Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar Publishes Photos of His Departure from Sana’a for the First Time, Details its Fall to Houthis
Yemen Monitor/ Special:
Former Yemeni Vice President, Lt. Gen. Ali Mohsen Saleh Al-Ahmar, has for the first-time revealed details of his final day in the capital, Sana’a, before its capture by Houthi militias on September 21, 2014. He also published photographs documenting his departure aboard a military plane to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia the following morning.
The photos were released alongside an extensive article on the “X” platform, where Al-Ahmar talked about the 63rd anniversary of the glorious September 26, 1962 Revolution. He extended congratulations to the Yemeni people, marking the national occasion that liberated Yemenis from the constraints of the Imamate and the darkness of enslavement, ushering in the era of the Republic and freedom.
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نؤكد بأن رأس مال اليمن والجمهورية والوحدة هو في وحدة صف اليمنيين وفي نفوسهم الكبيرة التي تتعالى على الصغائر وعلى الأهواء، وتعمل على ردم الفجوات والخلافات لأجل أهداف سامية تتمثل في الحفاظ على المكتسبات الوطنية الغالية.
ونؤكد حقيقةً مؤكدةً أيضاً، أن المعايير المادية والعسكرية… pic.twitter.com/8ibpaFVlrs
— علي محسن صالح الأحمر (@alimohsnalahmar) September 25, 2025
He specifically congratulated the heroes of the Army, Security forces, and Popular Resistance steadfastly facing the Iran-backed Houthi militias and their Imamate ideology on the front lines.
Al-Ahmar clarified that this anniversary is a crucial opportunity for evaluation, learning from the past, addressing the present, and planning for Yemen’s future. He asserted that the events of September 2014 were not unlike previous Imamate attempts to reclaim the capital, which were always determined by the degree of cohesion and unity among Yemenis against these forces’ ambitions.
Recalling historical defenses of the Republic, such as the “Seventy-Day Siege” in 1967 and 1968, Al-Ahmar stressed that the unity of Yemenis—not military strength or material resources—was the decisive factor in protecting the capital and national gains.
He then indicated that the fall of Sana’a on September 21, 2014, was a result of “forfeiture at the decisive moment,” due to a loss of unity among the state’s vital forces, despite the readiness of the Army and Security forces. This fragmentation, he argued, allowed the Houthi Imamate militias to seize the capital.
Al-Ahmar stated that units of the First Armored Division were a safety valve for the nation and remained steadfast despite limited resources, but the absence of a unified leadership decision led to the city’s eventual capture by the militias.
He explained that his departure from the capital aboard a military plane on September 22, 2014, was not an escape, but a step-in alignment with Republican principles and national honor, supported by Saudi Arabia. The goal was to preserve the project of liberation and eventual restoration of the state. He affirmed that this objective has remained the constant concern of all Yemenis, drawing inspiration from the heroes of the Seventy-Day Siege and the epic of the Yemeni Revolution.
Concluding his article, Al-Ahmar addressed the danger of the Houthis’ continued existence as a tool for Iran in Yemen, warning against the sectarian Imamate project that threatens national and regional security. He emphasized that protecting the Republic and its gains requires Yemenis to cohere and overcome minor differences, deeming national unity the true capital of Yemen.
He concluded with a call for the Republican rank to unite, asserting that glory for the martyrs of the revolution and victory for Yemen remain the supreme goal for all generations of the Republic.
