Houthis Form Specialized Taskforce for Tracking Fighters who Fled Battlegrounds

Houthi fighters ride on the back of a truck
Houthi fighters ride on the back of a truck
TT
20

Houthis Form Specialized Taskforce for Tracking Fighters who Fled Battlegrounds

Houthi fighters ride on the back of a truck
Houthi fighters ride on the back of a truck

Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi has ordered the formation of field teams tasked with tracking and capturing militants fleeing battlefields in Yemen, especially those raging in Marib governorate, well-informed sources said.

In Marib, Houthi ranks continued to sustain grave losses, triggering panic among remaining fighters from the Iran-backed group. Armed militants fled fierce clashes in the governorate in droves.

Hundreds of Houthis abandoning their posts in battlegrounds west and north of Marib has created a sharp shortage crisis for coup forces. Combatants bolted from fighting in the Sirwah, Hilan, al-Mukhadrah, al-Kasarah, Reghwan and Mudghal districts.

Some of the deserters secretly returned to their hometowns and villages without notifying Houthi leaders.

Aziz al-Jaradi, a senior Houthi commander who heads the group’s preventative security unit, was tasked with forming specialized teams for chasing down and capturing the deserters and detaining Houthi supervisors who are refusing to join the fight in Marib.

Some Houthi officers have declined to recruit more soldiers for battles in the governorate, leaving the group’s ranks depleted.

Following their leadership’s directives, Houthi intelligence agents tracked down deserters and raided their homes. Initial reports suggest that hundreds were apprehended by the group across seven different Houthi-run governorates.

According to local sources, Houthi agents warned the families of fighters who fled the battleground that they will be treated as traitors and will be subjected to harsh punishment.

Over the weekend, the newly formed tracking teams arrested around 45 escapee fighters in Dhamar governorate, locals told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Racial discrimination and extreme sectarianism were among the prime factors driving recruits to abandon Houthi ranks, locals explained.

Around 190 fighters were arrested in Sanaa and over 69 were detained in Ibb governorate, they affirmed.

Those arrested are being given an ultimatum: either return to fighting on battlefronts or face torture and imprisonment.



KSrelief Launches Project to Protect Women Affected by Gender-Based Violence in Yemen

The project will directly benefit 18,000 displaced women and violence survivors, as well as 325 frontline workers in safe spaces and protection centers - SPA
The project will directly benefit 18,000 displaced women and violence survivors, as well as 325 frontline workers in safe spaces and protection centers - SPA
TT
20

KSrelief Launches Project to Protect Women Affected by Gender-Based Violence in Yemen

The project will directly benefit 18,000 displaced women and violence survivors, as well as 325 frontline workers in safe spaces and protection centers - SPA
The project will directly benefit 18,000 displaced women and violence survivors, as well as 325 frontline workers in safe spaces and protection centers - SPA

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) launched a project to protect and empower women affected by gender-based violence in the Aden and Taiz governorates of Yemen.

The project is being implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the Yemeni Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.
According to SPA, over 12 months, the project will directly benefit 18,000 displaced women and violence survivors, as well as 325 frontline workers in safe spaces and protection centers. It seeks an indirect impact on around 126,000 individuals.
The project aims to improve the protection of women and girls, build the skills of workers in managing violence cases, expand psychosocial and legal support services, and raise community awareness through women's rights education campaigns.
UN Women Yemen representative Dina Zorba thanked Saudi Arabia, through KSrelief, for its generous support and humanitarian vision prioritizing women's empowerment. She emphasized that the project goes beyond protection services, representing an integrated approach to restoring dignity, enhancing resilience, and empowering women as active partners in peacebuilding and recovery.
The initiative is part of Saudi Arabia's ongoing efforts, through KSrelief, to empower women in Yemen and strengthen their positive role in society.