Taiz Governor Survives Houthi Drone Attack

 Part of an official nYemeni meeting in the city of Mocha (Saba News Agency)
Part of an official nYemeni meeting in the city of Mocha (Saba News Agency)
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Taiz Governor Survives Houthi Drone Attack

 Part of an official nYemeni meeting in the city of Mocha (Saba News Agency)
Part of an official nYemeni meeting in the city of Mocha (Saba News Agency)

The governor of Yemen’s southwestern province of Taiz, Nabil Shamsan, escaped a Houthi drone attack that targeted his convoy upon his return from a visit to the port city of Mocha on Saturday. At the same time, Houthis have been expanding their efforts to take over the Hareb district of Marib province.

According to observers, the assassination attempt coupled with the escalation in Marib suggest that the Houthis will be returning to wider military hostilities to secure new gains in Yemen.

The Houthi drone attack killed one of Shamsan’s bodyguards and injured two others. Observers warned that this murder attempt could derail a new prisoner exchange agreement brewing in Switzerland.

Muammar Al-Eryani, Yemen’s information minister, condemned the Houthis for targeting the convoy while it was travelling from the Red Sea town of Mocha to Taiz.

Eryani noted that the drone used in the attack was made in Iran.

“This sinful targeting, which comes in the wake of the terrorist Houthi militia’s continuous escalation on multiple fronts, confirms its insistence on sabotaging efforts to restore the ceasefire and calm the situation,” the minister said on Twitter.

EHe ryani had earlier warned that large-scale military operations would resume throughout the nation if the Houthis continued their assaults on government soldiers, particularly in the central province of Marib.

“Besides the targeting of the governor of Taiz being a cowardly terrorist attack, it proves that Houthis have no consideration for Islam’s holy month of fasting, Ramadan,” said the minister, insisting that Houthis are the sole beneficiary of the protracted war in Yemen.

Eryani called on the UN, the permanent members of the UN Security Council and the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, to break their silence on recent Houthi escalation and condemn the Iran-backed group for its terror activities.

He also urged pressuring Houthi militias and listing the group and its leadership in international terrorism blacklists.



Syrian Defense Ministry Begins Reshaping Military Affairs in Daraa

Meeting in Busra al-Sham, Daraa Countryside, attended by Col. Binyan al-Hariri (Daraa News Network)
Meeting in Busra al-Sham, Daraa Countryside, attended by Col. Binyan al-Hariri (Daraa News Network)
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Syrian Defense Ministry Begins Reshaping Military Affairs in Daraa

Meeting in Busra al-Sham, Daraa Countryside, attended by Col. Binyan al-Hariri (Daraa News Network)
Meeting in Busra al-Sham, Daraa Countryside, attended by Col. Binyan al-Hariri (Daraa News Network)

The Syrian Ministry of Defense has begun reorganizing military affairs in the southern province of Daraa, days after the Eighth Brigade — a former opposition group integrated into the army — surrendered its weapons to government forces.

The move comes as part of Damascus’s efforts to tighten its grip over southern Syria, particularly in areas previously outside its full control.

Separately, the Interior Ministry said it had seized a large cache of weapons and ammunition hidden inside a vehicle and arrested the driver as he attempted to smuggle the arms into the neighboring province of Sweida.

Daraa police said late on Sunday they discovered another stockpile of weapons concealed under piles of hay in a truck in the eastern town of al-Sahwah.

Authorities seized a significant weapons cache, including Katyusha artillery shells, anti-tank Malutka missiles, heavy machine guns, and ammunition, in a smuggling attempt from Damascus to Sweida.

The haul was intercepted by security forces, with images released by the General Security Directorate showing the captured items.

The vehicle, which was stopped by security patrols, was reportedly en route from the Syrian capital, Damascus, to Sweida when the arms were discovered. Authorities transported the confiscated weapons to the security center in the town of Izraa for further investigation.

Reports from Daraa have varied, with some claiming the shipment was intended for the group of Ahmad al-‘Awda, leader of the Eighth Brigade, based in Busra al-Sham in southern Daraa. Others suggest the weapons were meant for his affiliates and were to be sent later to Sweida.

There are also concerns that some members of the Eighth Brigade, who had previously retained their weapons after the group's dissolution announcement, may use the arms to stir unrest in the region.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense began accepting recruitment applications on Monday from residents of the eastern Daraa countryside. The registration process is taking place at one of the ministry’s offices west of Busra al-Sham.

Local sources in Daraa reported that the recruitment campaign will extend to other villages and towns in both central and western Daraa in the coming days. A training course for new recruits is expected to begin within two weeks.

The recruitment drive follows a meeting held on Sunday in Busra al-Sham, which included Col. Binyan al-Hariri, commander of the 40th Division, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Defense and former leaders from the area.

The meeting aimed to organize military affairs and register both new and former personnel into the Ministry of Defense.

According to local reports, the upcoming training will include new recruits from Busra al-Sham and its surrounding areas.