Houthis Face Field Losses with State Appointments

Pro-Houthi fighters in Sanaa on March 26, 2015. (AFP)
Pro-Houthi fighters in Sanaa on March 26, 2015. (AFP)
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Houthis Face Field Losses with State Appointments

Pro-Houthi fighters in Sanaa on March 26, 2015. (AFP)
Pro-Houthi fighters in Sanaa on March 26, 2015. (AFP)

Houthis confronted their successive field losses on Monday with a series of appointments in the coup government, in another step to remove the last figures loyal to the General People's Congress party from power.

The coup amendment included 26 decisions and involved the ministers of information, oil and finance, in addition to the “deputy prime minister” seats.

In addition, the Houthi militias appointed three “conservative” figures to head three provinces controlled by the legitimate government including Aden, Abeen and Socotra.

The decisions issued by Saleh al-Sammad, head of the Houthis’ political council and broadcast by the militia’s news agencies, also saw the appointment of a governor in the province of Mahweet and two officers from its militias in the ranks of the intelligence apparatus (political security and national security).

Other appointments covered posts in the customs authorities, the universities of Sanaa and Hodeidah and the supervisory bodies.

Al-Sammad’s decisions however removed pro-Congress figures by appointing the coup “minister of information” as head of the presidential bureau. The also appointed a number of deputy ministers and advisors in posts including in the central bank and judiciary.

The latest Houthi move aims to complete their operation of appointing pro-militia figures in Yemen’s public sector and leading positions, a step they had already started when they invaded Sanaa in September 2014.

Also on Monday, Houthis arrested two photojournalist brothers working for the Yemen Today television station, now controlled by the militias after the killing of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Member of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, Nabil al-Asidi wrote on his Facebook page on Monday that Houthi militias kidnapped brothers Imad and Ali al-Dayfi and took them to an unknown location, 10 days after arresting them at a checkpoint at the entrance of the Dhamar city while on their way to Aden.



Death Toll in Damascus Church Attack Rises to 25

People and rescuers inspect the damage at the site of a reported suicide attack at the Saint Elias church in Damascus' Dweila area on June 22, 2025. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)
People and rescuers inspect the damage at the site of a reported suicide attack at the Saint Elias church in Damascus' Dweila area on June 22, 2025. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)
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Death Toll in Damascus Church Attack Rises to 25

People and rescuers inspect the damage at the site of a reported suicide attack at the Saint Elias church in Damascus' Dweila area on June 22, 2025. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)
People and rescuers inspect the damage at the site of a reported suicide attack at the Saint Elias church in Damascus' Dweila area on June 22, 2025. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)

The death toll from a suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus on Sunday has risen to 25, Syria's state news agency SANA reported on Monday citing the country's health ministry.

It was the first suicide bombing in Damascus since Bashar al-Assad was toppled by opposition factions in December.

On Sunday, a suicide bomber in Syria opened fire then detonated an explosive vest inside a Greek Orthodox church filled with people praying, killing and wounding many.

The attack took place in Dweila on the outskirts of Damascus inside the Mar Elias Church, according to state media SANA.

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two men were involved in the attack, including the one who blew himself up.