Houthis

The Houthis are an Iranian-backed, Shiite Muslim armed religious and political movement in Yemen. The Houthis waged a series of bloody insurgencies against the Yemeni government for over a decade, leading to that regime’s overthrow in 2015.

Latest

November 19, 2023: Using a helicopter, the Houthis seize the British-owned and Japanese-operated cargo ship the Galaxy Leader in the southern Red Sea, taking 25 hostages. The Houthis describe the ship as Israeli. The vessel is owned by a company registered under Isle of Man-headquartered Ray Car Carriers, which is a unit of Tel Aviv-incorporated Ray Shipping. Sarea issues a statement on X, formerly Twitter, calling Israeli ships legitimate targets. Sarea says the Houthis are “treating the ship’s crew in accordance with Islamic principles and values.” Israel accuses Iran of directing an “act of terrorism.” The Ray Car Carriers-managed vessels Glovis Star and Hermes Leader divert course away from the Red Sea. On November 20, the Houthis release video footage of the capture of the Galaxy Leader.

Overview
Executive Summary:

The Houthis—officially known as Ansar Allah (Partisans of God)—are an Iranian-backed, Shiite Muslim military and political movement in Yemen. Its members, who subscribe to the minority Zaidi sect of Shiite Islam, advocate regional autonomy for Zaidis in northern Yemen. The group has waged a series of bloody insurgencies against the Yemeni government since 2004, overthrowing them and seizing power in Sanaa in 2015. In 2016, the group announced the formation of a government. Almost a decade after the beginning of the Houthis insurgency in 2015, as of 2023, nearly six million Yemenis have been displaced by the conflict and more than 23.4 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.

The Houthi movement began as an effort to maintain tribal autonomy in northern Yemen and protest Western influence in the Middle East. Today, the Houthis seek a greater role in the Yemeni government and continue to advocate Zaidi minority interests. The movement is known for its virulently anti-American and anti-Semitic rhetoric, including the group’s ubiquitous slogan: “God is great! Death to America! Death to Israel! Curse upon the Jews! Victory to Islam!” Several of the group’s leaders have been designated as terrorists by the United States.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is closely associated with the group, providing training and military equipment to the Houthis. The Iranian ship Jihan I was seized allegedly en route to Yemen in 2013 with arms meant for the Houthis.

The Houthis’ roots trace back to the 1990s, when Houthis founder Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi created the al-Shabab al-Mumanin (Believing Youth) movement in an effort to combine religious revivalism with anti-imperialism. The movement sought to educate local youth about Zaidism’s long history in Saada Governorate, northern Yemen. To that end, the al-Houthi family launched a network of associations, sports clubs, and summer camps. The al-Houthis also sought to protect Zaidism from perceived encroachment of Salafism and Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia into northern Yemen, where Zaidism has been dominant for centuries.

God is great! Death to America! Death to Israel! Curse upon the Jews! Victory to Islam!Houthis slogan

The Houthi movement grew increasingly politically engaged in 2003, in reaction and opposition to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s support for the U.S-led war in Iraq. Domestically, Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi continued to seek autonomy for Saada Governorate from Yemen’s Sunni-dominated central government.

After Saleh dispatched troops in a failed attempt to arrest al-Houthi in 2004, the Houthis launched an insurgency against the government. Al-Houthi was killed during clashes with the government in 2004, but the movement has continued in his name, waging a series of intermittent wars against the government, with Saudi forces intervening to support Sanaa in the years since.

During these wars, Saleh repeatedly sought to appease the Houthis by issuing amnesties to their prisoners and even pardoning Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi in 2005, but al-Houthi rejected the pardon and the periodic fighting continued. In 2007, Qatar brokered a brief cease-fire called the Doha Agreement, but the deal failed to satisfy the parties and fighting resumed that year. In 2009, with the Saleh government launched the massive Operation Scorched Earth, which sought to crush the insurgency for good, and was backed by financial, political, and military support from the Saudis. However, the campaign failed, and intermittent fighting continued.

During the Arab Spring in 2011, mass protests began against the Yemeni government, and Saleh stepped down in 2012 pursuant to an internationally negotiated transition agreement. The Houthis participated in a National Dialogue Conference but continued fighting against government forces.

The Houthis made significant territorial gains in 2014-2015. In September 2014, the group captured Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, resulting in the resignation of President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi in January 2015. The following month, the Houthis officially announced the dissolution of Hadi’s parliament and the institution of their interim government, known as the Supreme Revolutionary Committee (SRC).

The United Nations began facilitating peace talks between the Houthis and the Yemeni government in October 2015, but the talks ended without an agreement in early August 2016. The government of Saudi Arabia has also made multiple attempts to negotiate with the Houthis, launching the first talks in March 2016. As of 2023, multiple iterations of peace talks have so far only resulted in stalemates.

In August 2016, the SRC handed its authority to the Supreme Political Council (SPC), a government body formed by the July 2016 merger between the Houthis and former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The alliance ended in December 2017 after Saleh offered to reconcile with Saudi Arabia, leading to the assassination of Saleh at the hands of Houthi forces shortly after.

Following a week of U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Sweden, all parties tentatively agreed to an immediate cease-fire in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah on December 13, 2018. However, few of the conditions agreed upon were implemented by either side. Fighting continued until February 17, 2019, when the Houthis and Yemeni government finally withdrew their forces from the city of Hodeidah. Since 2017, the Houthis have also repeatedly attacked Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones and ramped up strikes in the spring and summer of 2019.

On August 27, 2019, the U.S. government was reportedly preparing to initiate negotiations with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in an effort to bring the civil war in Yemen to an end, but the attempt did not result in significant progress. Saudi Arabia presented another ceasefire plan to the Houthis in March 2021, which the militants rejected unless Saudi Arabia fully lifted its blockade of northern Yemen and ceased targeting Houthi positions. The Saudi-led coalition then promised to stop carrying out attacks against the movement to facilitate peace talks in June 2021.

On June 21, 2021, the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis attempted to negotiate a peace deal with the help of U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths and U.S. envoy Tim Lenderking. However, the Houthis’ chief negotiator, Mohammed Abdulsalam, noted that the Houthis wanted to ensure reopening access to Sanaa airport and Hodeidah port before discussing a comprehensive ceasefire. By providing the Iranian-backed Houthis with open access to Sanaa and Hodeidah, Riyadh would intentionally be putting Saudi Arabia’s domestic security at risk by allowing Iran access to the region.

The Houthis began an offensive on Marib, capturing Rahabah district, on September 8, 2021. Local tribes fought to repel the Houthis, but the Houthis continued to advance throughout Marib. Given the ongoing offensive, more than ten thousand civilians have been displaced, with aid workers on the ground accusing the Houthis of committing genocide in Marib province by denying civilians access to medical and humanitarian aid, leading to the displacement and starvation of thousands. On October 12, 2021, the internationally recognized Yemeni government declared southern Marib a military zone following Houthi gains in the area. By November 2021, the Saudi-led coalition killed more than 2,000 Houthis around Marib city since early October.

Despite continued fighting, on March 8, 2022, U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg launched consultations in Aman, Jordan, between the Houthis and Yemeni government on the prospects of launching a peace process. However, the Houthis renewed attacks on government troops on the Al-Balaq mountain range outside Marib city. The Houthis reportedly failed to achieve any territorial gains after government forces repelled their attacks. On March 28, the United Nations began brokering prisoner-swap negotiations between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.

A month after launching negotiations, on April 1, 2022, the Houthis and the Saudi-led military agreed to a U.N.-brokered two-month truce, the first coordinated cessation of hostilities since 2016. The parties agreed to halt all offensive military air, ground, and maritime operations inside Yemen and across its borders in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The ceasefire proved successful and was extended for an additional two months on June 2. However, on July 17, 2022, the Iran-backed Houthis stated they will not renew the U.N.-brokered truce with the Saudi-led military in Yemen. According to the movement’s SPC, international calls to extend the truce “affect the sovereignty, security and stability of Yemen” and were the reason behind the group’s decision to not renew the ceasefire.

The six-month-long ceasefire between the Houthis and the Yemeni government expired without prospects for renewal on October 2, 2022. Relations were further strained when Yemen’s National Defense Council designated the Houthis as a terrorist group on October 22, given the movement’s continued violent activity against civilians. Later in February 2023, the Yemeni government warned of a “decisive” battle against the Houthis if peace efforts fail.

In early April 2023, in the midst of Saudi Arabia and Iran agreeing to restore diplomatic relations, Saudi Arabia and the Houthis initiated peace negotiations in Sanaa. The consultations, which are separate from U.N. peace efforts, were mediated by Oman. Through the talks, Saudi Arabia sought to “stabilize the truce and cease-fire” that will lead to long-term political stability for Yemen. Additionally, the negotiations seemed to enforce the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from the country. However, Yemen’s internationally recognized government was excluded from the talks. Though, on July 23, 2023, the Houthis announced that peace negotiations with Saudi Arabia have paused due to disagreements concerning the source of funds to pay the salaries of civil servants living in Houthi-controlled areas.
Doctrine:

Unlike Sunni extremist groups in Yemen, the Houthis adhere to Zaidism, a doctrinally distinct off-shoot of mainstream “Twelver” Shiism. While Zaidism ruled Yemen for approximately 900 years beginning in the 9th century, the country has been officially secular since 1962, when a military coup ended the rule of Imam Mohammed Al-Badr.

The Houthi movement has drawn attention for its anti-American, anti-Semitic slogan, “God is great! Death to America! Death to Israel! Curse upon the Jews! Victory to Islam!” While some analysts maintain that the slogan does not reflect the group’s objectives, the Houthis have issued threats against Yemen’s Jewish community and attempted to force the U.S. ambassador from Yemen to leave. The Jews living in Saada were threatened by the Houthis in 2007 and forced to relocate to Sanaa, where they were living under government protection as of early 2015.

The Houthis have detained numerous foreign nationals, including at least five Americans. In June 2015, the Houthis released one American captive. On September 20, 2015, after the intercession of Oman’s government, the Houthis released three more hostages, including U.S. citizen Scott Darden, a logistics employee from Louisiana, and one other American. On November 10, 2015, U.S. officials reported that American contractor John Hamen, who had been detained sometime in October 2015, was dead. The announcement was followed by the release of three other Americans believed to be working for the United Nations.
Organizational Structure:

The Houthi movement’s organizational structure is opaque. The movement began as a grassroots religious organization aimed at youth, but over time it has entered politics and developed military capabilities. Following the killing of movement founder Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi by Yemeni forces in 2004, the Houthis were led by Hussein’s father, spiritual leader Badr al-Din al-Houthi. The movement’s current leader is Hussein’s younger brother, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.

The organization revolves around a General Secretary, Fadhl Abu Talib, and has multiple “departments.” These departments include the political office—al-maktab al-siyasi—as well as the external relations office, health office, education office, social office, intelligence service, and the “media authority to counter the aggression.” However, the Houthis still have yet to make an organizational chart publicly available.

Since December 2, 2017 after the death of President Saleh, the Houthis have ruled northern Yemen. In Houthi-controlled territories, formal state authorities exist alongside the Houthi supervisory system. Decision-making within the Houthi regime is not in the hands of those who are actors of the state—such as governors or ministers—but rather with Houthi supervisors.

Houthi political leadership is organized around four “wings.” These wings include the military wing, which is headed by Abdullah al-Hakim; the tribal wing, which includes tribesmen; the ideological wing which is led by Abdulkarim al-Houthi; and the political wing, which is represented by Mahdi al-Mashat, the current president of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee (SPC).
Financing:

Yemeni officials have long accused Iran’s Shiite Islamist regime of providing political, financial, and logistical support to the Houthi rebels and other secessionist movements in Yemen. Despite a 2015 U.N. report confirming Tehran’s support of the rebel group since at least 2009, Iran and the Houthis have historically denied engaging in past cooperation. Nevertheless, other reports subsequently confirmed Iranian support, including a Reuters article in December of 2014 confirming financial backing by Tehran. One source stated, “We think there is cash, some of which is channeled via Hezbollah and sacks of cash arriving at the airport.” Only in 2015 did a Houthi official confirm that Iran provided “direct support” in the form of logistics, intelligence, and cash, to the Houthis rebels. According to the official, the group has received tens of millions of dollars from the Iranian regime in recent years. Experts place the amount of financial support from Iran at between $10 and $20 million per year, including at least one alleged payment of $3.7 million.

In addition to allegedly sending financial support to the Houthis, Iran also reportedly dispatches military personnel and weapons, including missiles, explosives, and small arms. American intelligence officials have claimed that the Houthis receive considerably less support from Iran than some have alleged. Nonetheless, on March 28, 2016, the U.S. Navy reportedly intercepted weapons from Iran believed to be headed for Houthi rebels. Among the weapons intercepted were 1,500 AK-47 rifles, 200 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and 21 .50-caliber machine guns, according to Reuters.

A 2018 U.N. report accused Iran of supplying missiles and drones to the Houthis. In January 2019, the U.N.’s Panel of Experts on Yemen reported that they had “traced the supply to the Houthis of unmanned aerial vehicles and a mixing machine for rocket fuel and found that individuals and entities of Iranian origin have funded the purchase. In June 2020, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reported to the Security Council that cruise missiles used attacks on Saudi oil facilities and an international airport in Saudi Arabia in November 2019 and February 2020 were of Iranian origin.

Though Iran has provided military and financial support to the Houthis, Iran had previously neither confirmed nor denied recognition of the Houthi government in Sanaa. In August 2019, the Houthis appointed Ibrahim al-Dulaimi, director-general of Houthi-run Al Masirah TV station, as ambassador of the Houthi government to Iran. Iran accepted the appointment and transferred Yemen’s official diplomatic residence in Tehran to Dulaimi. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has since met with Dulaimi and the Iranian government has recognized the legitimacy of the Houthi government. In October 2020, Iran appointed its own ambassador, Hassan Eyrlou, to the Houthi government.

On June 10, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on 12 individuals and entities who comprise a smuggling network responsible for providing tens of millions of dollars of funds to the Houthis. The individuals and entities—who allegedly are in cooperation with IRGCs Quds Force senior officials—sell commodities, such as Iranian petroleum, throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The revenue from those sales have further supplemented the Houthis and their ongoing offensive on Yemeni soil. Among the most notorious of the designations is Sa’id Ahmad Muhammad al-Jamal, an Iran-based Houthi financial supporter, who directs the network of front companies and vessels. Al-Jamal also maintains connections to Hezbollah as he works with the group to send millions of dollars to support the Houthis and their operations.

In late February 2023, the Yemeni government warned two shipping companies it would revoke their licenses if the companies were found cooperating with the Houthis, including sending shipments through the Houthi-controlled Hodeidah Port. Under the terms of the December 2018 Stockholm Agreement, ports revenues are to be used to support civil service salaries. A March 2023 U.N. report accused the Houthis of diverting billions of Yemeni riyals from oil, taxes, and other levies. According to the United Nations, between April 2, 2022, and November 30, 2022, 69 tankers delivered 1,810,498 tons of oil derivatives to the Houthi-controlled Hodeidah port, generating 271.935 billion Yemeni rials (approximately $271 million) for the Houthis. The Houthis either pocketed the money themselves or used it to finance their military activities. The United Nations accused Houthi leaders’ families of amassing vast personal fortunes.
Recruitment:

According to Houthi officials in 2018, the rebels maintained a force of 60,000 fighters, while outside estimates have placed the number between 15,000 and 50,000. The Houthis’ primary area of recruitment is the northern provinces of Yemen, its heartland of ideological support. In February 2016, al-Arabiya reported that the group had expanded recruitment beyond its traditional political base by inducing “mercenaries” from African countries. In May 2020, Yemeni Information Minister Muammar Al-Iryani warned that the Houthis were increasingly recruiting civilians in areas under Houthi control.

Houthi recruitment efforts inside Yemen have benefitted from the unpopularity of the Yemeni government. Since the 2011 uprising that removed President Ali Abdullah Saleh from power, the Houthis have increasingly attracted potential recruits to anti-government public protests in support of the movement. In the summer of 2014, the group gained noticeable traction when it protested the Yemeni government’s decision to cut popular fuel subsidies. Houthi-led protests attracted tens of thousands of supporters, including not only Zaidis but also Sunnis, to Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.

Since the 1990s, Houthi recruitment has reached out to its target Zaidi audience through social connections and networking, proselytizing through religious sermons, the dissemination of written materials, audio and videotapes, and online recruitment. The Houthis began paramilitary activities in 2004 and began distributing military training videos electronically and in person where possible.

The Houthis have also revived local Zaidi rituals, including events where potential recruits can socialize with pro-jihadi Houthi militia men, with the intention of encouraging new recruits to join the veterans. A pro-Houthi youth movement called Shabab al-Sumud (Steadfast Youth) has also provided support, including by managing a tent in Maydan Taghayr (Change Square) in 2012 where members of the public could enter and watch pro-Houthi videos.

The group is also active on the Internet, including on YouTube channels where it posts pro-Houthi videos, as well as web forums to promote the Houthi movement. The Houthis operate the TV channel Al Masirah, which publishes pro-Houthi videos, including poems and songs. In 2007, group leader Abdel Malik founded the Al Minbar website, which published press statements, editorials, speeches, videos, and images to promote its message. The group has also released statements through website Ansar Allah (Supporters of Allah). Houthi officials also maintain Twitter accounts disseminating pro-Houthi material. For example, in May 2016, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam posted comments accusing the Yemeni government of lying and time-wasting.

Since the start of Yemen’s civil war in 2014, the Houthis have reportedly conscripted more than 30,000 child soldiers, all under the age of 15. According to a February 2021 study by the Switzerland-based SAM for Rights and Liberties, the Houthis “deliberately used the education system to incite violence and indoctrinate students with the group’s ideologies,” particularly by giving children lectures on sectarian content and promoting military victories. Houthis have also exploited the extreme poverty rampant in Yemen by offering financial incentives to children whose families’ main providers had been killed. Houthi officials have admitted to conscripting at least 18,000 child soldiers as young as 10 years old, though officially the Houthis say they do not recruit children. In June 2020, news publication Asharq Al-Awsat revealed that local sources in Sanaa claimed that Houthi forces had launched a recruitment campaign to persuade children and young men to join its ranks. The campaign operates under the guise that recruits will be provided with protection from the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon enlistment, young recruits are asked to save themselves by joining the fighting front, which the Houthis claim is safer than crowded cities and areas. According to the human rights organization the Yemeni Coalition of Independent Women (CIY), child abduction is also widespread and occurs daily in Houthi-controlled areas, especially in Sanaa and the governorates of Ibb, Amran, Hajjah, Mahwit, and Dhamar. However, reports released later in June claim that the Houthis failed to implement necessary health measures to prevent the spread of the virus at indoctrination schools and institutes, leading to dozens of children being infected by COVID-19.

The Houthis have used child soldiers to plant and clear landmines, as well as act as guards. There are also reports of the Houthis sending children to the frontlines to fight. As the Houthis continued an offensive in Marib in March 2021, the Houthis reportedly took heavy losses and sought to replenish their ranks with child soldiers. Houthi forces allegedly conscripted at least 85 child soldiers that month alone. The minors received a week of training before they were sent to fight in Marib. To further the indoctrination of Yemeni youth, the Houthis have created summer camps that reportedly enroll thousands of children in Houthi-held territory. According to Houthi officials, children are educated to Houthi ideology and “immunized from false cultures” during 45-day sessions at the camps, which culminate with graduation ceremonies attended by the children’s families as well as Houthi officials. The children also receive combat training. Parents who refuse to send their children to the Houthi camps are reportedly blacklisted in their communities.

The Houthis have also conscripted civil servants from areas under their control. Al-Arabiya reported in 2017 that the Houthis were forcibly subjecting civil servants to two-week “brain washing” sessions before conscripting them. In 2021 in Ibb, the Houthis ordered all civil servants to enlist in the armed forces and spend at least 14 days on the battlefield. The Yemeni Teachers Syndicate has accused the Houthis of conscripting thousands of teachers to the frontlines. According to local media reports, the Houthis claim they are “mobilizing job sectors” by recruiting civil servants to fight for their cause.
Training:

The Houthis have historically trained their fighters in Yemen’s mountainous north. The Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has trained Houthis in Yemen and Iranian military leadership is also believed to be present in Yemen to provide strategic military advice. In March 2015, Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubair also alleged that Hezbollah operatives were advising the Houthis. In the same month, Syrian military officials were reportedly present in Yemen assisting the Houthis as well.

In early 2015, U.S. officials reported that the IRGC’s training of Houthi rebels covered the use of advanced weapons, which the Houthis seized from Yemeni military bases. A January 2020 U.N. report claims that Iran continues to provide the Houthis with advanced weaponry and high-tech components for their ammunition systems. According to the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies, the IRGC has its own special forces units in Yemen, with some of those units specializing in missiles and others in drones. There are also units specifically focusing on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The IRGC allegedly has multiple operation rooms throughout Yemen, with one located in Hodeidah and another on the west coast of Yemen that secures the arrival of military forces and weapons. Following the October 28, 2020 appointment of Hassan Eyrlou—an IRGC-Quds Force officer—as ambassador of Iran to the Houthi militia, it is likely that the IRGC will move from providing not just logistical support to the Houthis, but will also direct the way in which the Houthis will manage the Yemeni crisis.

The Houthis have also sought to impose their ideology on the areas of Yemen they have captured. In mid-April 2021, Houthi militants evicted 20 academics and their families from university housing in Sanaa. The Houthis reportedly seek to install academics loyal to their cause within area universities. According to media reports, the Houthis have replaced 90 percent of school principals with pro-Houthi individuals. The Houthis have also sought to inculcate hatred of the group’s enemies by printing and distributing images of dead children allegedly killed by anti-Houthi forces. Houthi propaganda also positively highlights drone strikes on Saudi Arabia and a hatred of Israel. A member of the Yemeni Teachers Syndicate has claimed the Houthis are enforcing a “policy of cultural colonialism” and the “ideology of the Khomeinist revolution in Yemen through public education,” effectively brainwashing Yemen’s children.

Also Known As:

• Al-Houthis
• Al-Shabaab al-Mu’minin
• Ansarallah
• Ansar Allah
• Ansarullah
• Ash-Shabab al-Mu’min
• Believing Youth
• Believing Youth Forum
• Houthi Movement
• Huthis
• Partisans of God
• Shabaab al-Mumanin
• Supporters o

Key Leaders

Abdul-Malik al-Houthi

Spiritual, military, and political leader; brother of founder Hussein Badr-al-Din al-Houthi

Youssef al-Midani

Deputy leader; brother-in-law of Abdul-Malik al-Houthi (reported deceased October 2015)

Yahia Badr-al-Din al-Houthi

Senior leader, former lawmaker, brother of founder Hussein Badr-al-Din and current leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi

Abdul-Karim Badr-al-Din Al-Houthi

Senior leader, brother of founder Hussein Badr-al-Din and current leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi

Mohamed Abdul Salam

Spokesman

Faris Manna

Houthi-appointed governor of Saada between 2011 and December 2014; alleged former arms dealer whose assets were frozen by the U.N. Security Council and the U.S. Treasury Department

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti

Spokesman and member of the Houthi Political Council

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi

Member of the Supreme Political Council and former president of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee

Yahya Sarea

Military spokesman

History

Violent Activities

Violent activity by the Houthis has consisted mainly of armed rebellion against the Yemeni government, leading to clashes with security forces. Thousands have been killed and displaced as a result of the fighting. The Houthis also briefly fought Saudi forces on the northern border in late 2009, and have battled al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) for several years. In October 2016, the rebels took direct action against the United States by conducting a series of failed missile attacks against the U.S. Navy presence in the region. The Houthis had previously kidnapped several American citizens, including a teacher, journalist, humanitarian aid worker. U.S. ships are not the only vessels the rebels have targeted. Prior to the attacks on the U.S. Navy, a UAE civilian ship was damaged by Houthi missiles that same month. Starting in 2017, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones, and have ramped up strikes in 2019, often targeting Saudi airports and oil fields.
Attacks on Israel and Israeli interests

On November 19, 2023, the Houthis seized the British-owned and Japanese-operated cargo ship the Galaxy Leader in the southern Red Sea, taking 25 crew members hostage. The Houthis described the ship as Israeli. The vessel is owned by a company registered under Isle of Man-headquartered Ray Car Carriers, which is a unit of Tel Aviv-incorporated Ray Shipping. In a statement released on X, formerly Twitter, Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea called all Israeli ships legitimate targets. The seizure was part of an ongoing Houthi offensive against Israeli interests following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that killed at least 1,200 people. The Houthis praised the attack and began launching drones and missiles toward Israel as the Jewish State targeted Hamas infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. On October 19, a U.S. warship near the Red Sea shot down four cruise missiles and 15 drones over a period of nine hours. A Pentagon spokesman accused the Houthis of firing the projectiles “potentially towards targets in Israel.” Israel accused the Houthis of responsibility for an October 27 drone attack that wounded six people in the Egyptian Red Sea towns of Taba and Nuweiba. After Israel intercepted a surface-to-surface missile from the Red Sea area on October 30, Sarea claimed the Houthis were responding to “Israeli aggression” and would continue their attacks. The Houthis claimed multiple missile and drone attacks against Israeli interests throughout October and November.

• November 19, 2023: Using a helicopter, the Houthis seize the British-owned and Japanese-operated cargo ship the Galaxy Leader in the southern Red Sea, taking 25 hostages. The Houthis describe the ship as Israeli. The vessel is owned by a company registered under Isle of Man-headquartered Ray Car Carriers, which is a unit of Tel Aviv-incorporated Ray Shipping. Sarea issues a statement on X, formerly Twitter, calling Israeli ships legitimate targets. Sarea says the Houthis are “treating the ship’s crew in accordance with Islamic principles and values.” Israel accuses Iran of directing an “act of terrorism.” The Ray Car Carriers-managed vessels Glovis Star and Hermes Leader divert course away from the Red Sea. On November 20, the Houthis release video footage of the capture of the Galaxy Leader.
• November 14, 2023: Israel intercepts a missile near the Red Sea. A Houthi spokesman says the Houthis launched a missile toward the Red Sea city of Eilat in Israel. Abdul-Malik al-Houthi warns that his forces are actively searching for Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
• November 13, 2023: The Houthis launch armed drones toward the Israeli Red Sea city of Eilat.
• November 9, 2023: Sarea claims on Twitter that the Houthis successfully launched a “batch of ballistic missiles” targeting “various sensitive targets” in southern Israel. Sarea accuses Israel of maintaining secrecy around the success of the Houthi attack. According to Israel media, there are no reports of explosions in Israel beyond a drone that was shot down in Eilat. Sarea does not mention the drone in his online statement.
• November 8, 2023: The Houthis shoot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone over the Red Sea near the coast of Yemen. U.S. officials acknowledge the attack on the drone but do not confirm if the drone was in Yemeni airspace. A Pentagon spokesman says Houthi attempts to recover the drone are unlikely to retrieve anything of significance.
• November 7, 2023: Sarea announces a drone attack against “sensitive areas” inside Israel. In a statement on the Al Masirah TV channel, Sarea claims the attack succeeded in the “halting of movement in the targeted bases and airports for hours.”
• November 7, 2023: A car bomb in Marib targets the Yemeni army’s chief of staff, Lieutenant General Sagheer bin Aziz, wounding four civilians and three soldiers. Yemeni officials hold the Houthis responsible.
• November 6-7, 2023: An overnight Houthi attack on government soldiers in Marib province kills at least eight and wounds 15. It is reportedly the first major attack in the area in several months.
• October 31, 2023: Israel intercepts a surface-to-surface missile launched from the area of the Red Sea, while Israeli jets intercept what the Israeli military describes as “aerial threats.” Sarea announces the Houthis had “launched a large batch of ballistic and winged missiles and a large number of drones at various targets of the Israeli enemy.” He calls the attack a response to “Israeli aggression” and part of the Houthis’ support for the Palestinian people. Sarea says the Houthis’ attacks on Israel will continue.
• Late October 2023: Saudi military forces intercept a Houthi missile over Saudi territory. The missile was reportedly headed toward Israel.
• October 27, 2023: Drones strike the Egyptian Red Sea towns of Taba and Nuweiba, wounding six people. According to an Egyptian military spokesman, two drones were fired from the southern Red Sea aiming north. Israel accuses the Houthis of launching the drones to target Israel.
• October 19, 2023: A U.S. warship near the Red Sea shoots down four cruise missiles and 15 drones over a period of nine hours. A Pentagon spokesman accuses the Houthis of firing the projectiles “potentially towards targets in Israel.”
• September 25, 2023: A Houthi drone targets Arab Coalition forces patrolling Saudi Arabia’s southern border, killing at least four Bahraini soldiers. The Houthis do not claim the attack, but Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations accuse the Houthis of responsibility. Saudi Arabia says it reserves the right to respond.
• May 25, 2023 – July 11, 2023: A group of Houthis ambush a gathering of Baha’i believers in Sanaa, arresting all of them. The militants ignore repeated requests by the international community to release the hostages. It is not until two months later on July 13 do the Houthis release one of the 18 prisoners due to illness.
• March 22, 2023: The Houthis launch an attack in Harib, south of Marib. The ambush kills at least 10 soldiers.
• February 25-26, 2023: Houthi fighters launch an overnight attack on government military sites in Marib, killing 11 Yemeni soldiers and wounding several others.
• February 23, 2023: A British warship in international waters captures an Iranian vessel transporting arms, including ballistic missile components and anti-tank weapons. The British navy says the boat was likely heading toward Yemen. The capture triggers warnings from military analysts and Yemeni officials that the Houthis are planning a new ground assault.
• January 15, 2023: French naval forces in the Gulf of Oman intercept an Iranian vessel carrying thousands of assault rifles, machine guns, and anti-tank missiles to Houthi rebels. The Iranian government denies Iran provided the weapons on board the ship. An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman says Iran abides by the U.N. weapons embargo on the Houthis.
• November 21, 2022: A Houthi drone fires a projectile at the al-Dhabba oil terminal in in the town of al-Shihr in Hadramaut province, reportedly hitting al-Dhabba’s oil export platform. According to a Houthi spokesman, the attack forced a ship to leave port. Workers at the port tell Reuters the Panamanian-flagged vessel Pratika had entered the terminal to load a shipment of crude but left after the attack.
• November 12, 2022: Houthi militants attack pro-government separatist soldiers in the Hayfan region of the Tur Al-Bahah district in Lahj province, killing a pro-government soldier. The attack is a Houthi attempt to gain territory.
• November 11, 2022: A Houthi missile targets a military vehicle transporting troops and residents in Qadash village, north of Lahj province, killing six people and wounding several others. Among the fatalities are four soldiers and two civilians. In response, pro-independence troops bomb Houthi-controlled sections of Lahj.
• November 8, 2022: The U.S. Navy seizes 70 tons of a missile fuel component hidden among bags of fertilizer aboard a ship in the Gulf of Oman headed toward Yemen from Iran. According to the Navy, the amount of ammonium perchlorate discovered could fuel more than a dozen medium-range ballistic missiles, the same type of missiles the Houthis have used. Iran’s U.N. mission says its government abides by U.N. resolutions regarding Yemen.
• October 30, 2022: Houthis fire shells at STC positions north of Lahj, leading to clashes between STC and Houthi forces that leave two STC soldiers dead.
• October 30, 2022: A Houthi shell strikes a house in Taiz, killing a 3-year-old boy and his father and wounding four other children.
• October 21, 2022: The Houthis attack the Nissos Kea, a Greek-owned and Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship, in Ash Shihr, Yemen, near the city of Mukalla. The Houthis claim the attack is to prevent pro-government forces from using the ship for oil exports. It is the Houthis’ first military activity since the expiration of a six-month ceasefire earlier in the month.
• October 7-8, 2022: The Houthis launch coordinated heavy shelling and troop attacks on government forces in Lahj province, outside the city of Taiz, and in areas south of Marib. The attacks kill at least six Yemeni troops and an unknown number of Houthi militants.
• September 30, 2022: A Houthi thermal rocket attack targets an STC position in the Al-Had district of the Lahj province, killing three STC fighters and wounding two.
• August 28, 2022: Houthi militants launch an overnight attack in the blockaded city of Taez. The attack kills 10 Yemeni soldiers and injures seven others. The Houthis launched the attack to cut off a key route that would transport necessary humanitarian aid in Yemen’s third biggest city.
• April 9, 2022: Despite a truce that took effect on April 2 between the Houthis and the Saudi-led military alliance, the Houthis launch an attack on government forces in Marib. The army claims that since the April 2 truce, the Houthis committed at least 100 violations of the truce in contested areas in Hodeidah, Jouf, Taiz, Saada, Hajjah, and Marib. However, on April 13, Yemeni military spokesman Abdo Majali claims the Houthis committed 1,230 violations in the Marib, Taiz, Hajjah, Dhale, and Saada provinces. Majali also accuses the Houthis of bringing in reinforcements, as well as an additional 40 military vehicles, to the battlefront in Southern Marib.
• March 25, 2022: The Houthis launch rocket and drone strikes against Saudi Arabia, targeting a fuel depot in Jeddah and sites around Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s civil defense extinguishes two fires at two storage tanks at a fuel depot in Jeddah that the Houthis had previously targeted. Saudi air defenses destroy two explosive-laden drones targeting Najran. Saudi state television reports attacks in the town of Dhahran hit water tanks and damaged vehicles and houses, while another attack targeted an electrical substation in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border. No casualties are reported. Sarea posts to Twitter the Houthis attacked “Aramco facilities in Jeddah and vital facilities in the capital of the Saudi enemy, Riyadh,” as well as Aramco facilities in Jizan, Najran, Ras Tanura, and Rabigh with “a large number of drones.” The attack comes two days before Jeddah is scheduled to host the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on March 27. On March 26, the Saudi-led coalition launches airstrikes against Sanaa and Hodeidah, killing at least seven people. Later that day, Houthi political leader Mahdi al-Mashat announces the suspension of missile and drone attacks and all military actions for a period of three days.
• March 20, 2022: The Houthis launch a barrage of missiles and drones toward Saudi oil infrastructure sites, striking the Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company and a fuel tank at an Aramco distribution station in Jeddah. No casualties are reported in either strike. Saudi authorities report a small fire at one of the sites but no serious damage that would disrupt oil production. The following day, Saudi Arabia issues a statement that it is not responsible for spiking oil prices if the Houthi continue attacking oil production facilities. The Houthis previously targeted the Jeddah facility in a November 2020 cruise missile strike.
• March 11-12, 2022: As the United Nations holds consultations between the Houthis and the Yemeni government on launching a peace process, the Houthis renew attacks on government troops on the Al-Balaq mountain range outside Marib city. The Houthis reportedly fail to achieve any territorial gains after government forces repel their attacks.
• March 10, 2022: Fighting continues between the Houthis and Yemeni forces in Hajjah province. Houthi bombmaker Abdul Aziz Ahmed Al-Abed is killed in the fighting. Al-Abed is reportedly described as one of the Houthis’ “most dangerous leaders,” responsible for making bombs and preparing locally made land mines.
• March 10, 2022: The Houthis launch three Samad-3 drones toward a Saudi Aramco refinery in Riyadh and six Samad-1 drones at Aramco facilities in the Saudi cities of Jizan and Abha. The drones cause a small fire in Riyadh, but no casualties are reported in either incident. Houthi spokesman Sarea claims the attacks are in response to the Arab blockade around Yemen, which has led to worsening fuel shortages.
• March 2, 2022: A Houthi missile strikes a military camp in Midi, in Hajjah province, killing at least 10 Sudanese soldiers and wounding more than 25 others.
• Mid-February 2022: Houthi rebels arrest a former press officer from the closed U.S. Embassy in Sanaa. The former staffer is reportedly held in the Houthi-run Security and Intelligence Authority facility. On February 22, the Houthis bring the staffer back to his home to search it before taking him back again. The arrest raises the number of former U.S. Embassy staff in Houthi custody to at least 11.
• February 21, 2022: Saudi forces destroy an explosives-laden drone from launched from Yemen toward King Abdullah Airport in Jizan, Saudi Arabia. At least 16 people are wounded by shrapnel from the destroyed drone. The Arab coalition accuses the Houthis of launching the drone from Sanaa’s airport.
• February 20, 2022: A Houthi landmine kills nine members of a pro-government military patrol in Albuqa in Saada province.http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/20220221/89a12f7ec469446f99aa2c3260ca88bc/c.html.
• February 20, 2022: The Houthis launch seven missiles at Marib, leaving multiple people dead and wounded. Specific casualty numbers are not immediately available.
• February 19, 2022: A Houthi missile strikes a mosque during evening prayers in Al Alem military base in Shabwa province, killing five soldiers and wounding 15 others.
• February 19, 2022: An explosives-laden drone launched by the Houthis strikes a school in Marib’s Hareb district, wounding three students and partially destroying the school.
• February 18, 2022: Arab coalition forces destroy a small Houthi boat in the southern Red Sea. Saudi TV reports the boat was filled with explosives and launched from Yemen’s Hodeidah port.
• February 12, 2022: Following reportedly intense battles, the Houthis capture the Al-Muhassam military base belonging to Yemeni border guard troops in Hajjah province. Government forces withdraw from the area as the Houthis use explosive-laden drones to attack, resulting in dozens on deaths and casualties on both sides.
• February 10, 2022: The Houthis launch a drone armed with explosives toward the airport in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Saudi defenses destroy the drone, but debris injures 12 people at the airport. Sarea tweets the drone struck its target with “precision.” He claims the Saudis use the Abha airport to carry out attacks on Yemen. The United States condemns the attack and says it will work with Saudi Arabia and international partners to hold the Houthis responsible. On February 14, the Saudis destroy a civilian communications system in Sanaa, which the coalition accuses the Houthis of using as a drone control station.
• February 8, 2022: The international charity Oxfam reports the year-long fighting between the Houthis and pro-government forces in Marib has displaced approximately 100,000 people and worsened Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. Oxfam noted at least 43 airstrikes hit civilian targets in Marib province, including houses and farms, in January. In January alone, eight people were killed by landmines, compared to five over the past year.
• February 8, 2022: A Houthi landmine kills at least 10 pro-government soldiers and destroys a military vehicle in Haradh.
• February 7, 2022: Following street fighting between the Houthis and government forces in Hajjah province, the Houthis launch four missiles from Hodeidah toward government-controlled areas in Hajjah. The Arab coalition accuses the Houthis of using civilian facilities at the Hodeidah port and Sanaa airport to launch missiles. Government forces push into the strategic northern city of Haradh on the fourth day of an offensive to control it. Dozens of Houthis fighters are killed in the confrontation.
• February 5-6, 2022: On February 5, the Yemeni army launches an offensive to retake the northern city of Haradh, in Hajjah province, from the Houthis. Yemeni forces call on the Houthis to surrender the city. The following day, the Arab coalition warns civilians to avoid roads leading to the city. A coalition spokesman says areas around Haradh are “within the area of operations and are being monitored round the clock, and any movements on these roads will be targeted.” On February 6, Yemeni forces seize parts of the city from the Houthis and continue to push toward the city’s center.
• February 3, 2022: Supported by the Arab coalition, Yemeni army and Giants Brigades troops seize control of several locations on the edges of Um Resh military base in Marib’s Juba district. Dozens of Houthis are reportedly killed in the fighting.
• February 2, 2022: Houthi forces launch a counteroffensive against government-backed forces in the Al-Anen district of the southern city of Taiz. At least 15 Houthi fighters are killed in the assault.
• January 31, 2022: The UAE intercepts a Houthi ballistic missile as the country hosts Israeli President Isaac Herzog in an Israeli president’s first visit to the UAE. Sarea confirms the Houthis fired Zulfiqar missiles at Abu Dhabi and drones at Dubai. During a televised address, Sarea warns “citizens, residents and companies to stay away from vital headquarters and facilities that will be targets in the coming period.”
• January 26, 2022: Attempting to stop the advancing Yemeni forces, Houthi forces blow up a road on Malla’a mountain, south of Marib, and plant landmines.
• January 26, 2022: The Houthis launch a missile strike on the center of Marib, killing at least five civilians and wounding 23 others. Yemeni Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Muammar Al-Eryani accuses the Houthis of deliberately targeting residential areas and civilians in Marib. He calls on the world to punish the Houthis for “a full-fledged war crime.” Al-Eryani calls for designating the Houthis as a terrorist organization and prosecuting its leaders.
• January 24, 2022: The UAE intercepts two ballistic missiles launched from Yemen toward Abu Dhabi. There are no casualties reported but missile debris scatters across Abu Dhabi. The Houthis’ Sarea claims the Houthis launched drones toward Dubai and Zulfiqar ballistic missiles at al-Dhafra airbase in Abu Dhabi and other “sensitive targets.” The United States utilizes the al-Dafra airbase. Sarea calls on foreign companies and investors to leave the UAE because “it has become unsafe.” He also says the Houthis are ready to “meet escalation with escalation.” Houthi Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein al-Ezzi says the attack on Abu Dhabi “falls within our right to defend ourselves.” The U.S. Embassy issues a security advisory for the UAE, urging its citizens to “maintain a high level of security awareness.”
• January 23, 2022: A ballistic missile targets the industrial zone of Ahad al Masarihah in south-western Saudi Arabia, wounding two foreigners. The Houthis claim responsibility.
• January 17, 2022: The Saudi coalition intercepts eight drones launched from Yemen toward Saudi Arabia. In the UAE, a Houthi drone strikes three tanker trucks carrying fuel in the Mussafah industrial area near Abu Dhabi airport, killing at least three and wounding six others. The fatalities include one Pakistani and two Indian nationals. The Houthis also launch a ballistic missile toward Abu Dhabi, which is intercepted. The Houthis claim they carried out “Operation Hurricane Yemen” in response to the “escalation of the US-Saudi-Emirati aggression.” The Houthis dub the UAE an “unsafe state” and warn foreign companies, citizens, and UAE residents to keep away from vital facilities as the Houthis “will not hesitate” to expand their targets in the UAE. Houthi spokesperson Mohammad Abdulsalam calls the UAE a “statelet” that is “desperate to serve the US and Israel.” He warns the Houthis will “cut off its hands” if the UAE does not “stop meddling in Yemen.” Houthi political bureau member Ali al-Qhoom tweets operations like the drone attack will continue “so long as the offensive and blockade continue and it will encompass strategic targets.” Qhoom also tweets such operations “will happen within the context of a legitimate response to the crimes and attacks of the UAE in Yemen.” Following the attack, the Saudi coalition launched airstrikes over Yemen targeting “terrorist leaders” around Sanaa, killing at least 12. Also in response to the Houthi attacks, the Saudi coalition launches a massive air strike against a Houthi-linked prison in Saada in northern Yemen on January 18, killing at least 70 people and wounding 138. An overnight Saudi raid in Hodeidah destroys a telecommunications hub that kills three children and causes a nationwide Internet outage. Thousands of Houthi supporters reportedly protest in the streets across Yemen.
• January 5, 2022: The Yemeni government accuses the Houthis of setting fire to more than 40 homes in the villages of Markouda, Al-Shujaira, and Al-Nakhilah. Amsterdam-based human rights organization Rights Radar accuses the Houthis of deliberately burning the homes.
• January 2, 2022: Houthi militants seize the Rwabee, a UAE-flagged merchant vessel, in the Red Sea off the coast of Hodeidah, Yemen. The Houthis claim the ship is carrying military supplies. The Saudi-led coalition accuses the Houthis of “armed piracy” and says the ship is carrying medical supplies from a dismantled Saudi field hospital on the island of Socotra. The Houthis’ Al Masirah satellite news channel airs footage of weapons and military equipment on board the ship. The Saudis accuse the Houthis of planting the weapons on board. The Arab coalition threatens to target Houthi-held Yemeni ports if the ship is not released. The United States condemns the Houthis’ seizure and calls for the ship’s release and an end to all violent activities. Iranian media quotes Houthis officials claiming they seized the ship as a warning to Israel. On January 15, the Houthis reject a U.N. Security Council demand to release the ship. The Houthis release the Rwabee’s crew on April 24.
• December 28, 2021: The Houthis launch two ballistic missiles toward the Ataq airport in Yemen’s Shabwa province, reportedly killing and wounding dozens, though specific casualty numbers are not reported. The missiles reportedly target the UAE-backed Giants Brigades, which took control of the airport the previous day from Saudi forces.
• December 26, 2021: The Saudi coalition reports the Houthis have fired 430 ballistic missiles and 851 armed drones at Saudi Arabia since 2015, killing 59 Saudi civilians.
• December 24, 2021: The Houthis fire three ballistic missiles toward Saudi Arabia’s Jazan, killing two and wounding seven. Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea says the missiles targeted “vital and sensitive” sites.
• December 21, 2021: The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) releases a report claiming the Houthis launched 702 attacks on Saudi Arabia in the first nine months of 2021. According to the report, the Houthis averaged 78 attacks per month and doubling an average of 38 attacks per month during the same period in 2020.
• December 16, 2021: A Houthi attack on Arab coalition positions in the Harad District of Yemen’s Hajjah province kills 14 Sudanese soldiers.
• December 15, 2021: The Houthis claim to launch five ballistic missiles toward the King Khalid Airbase in the Saudi city of Khamis Mushait and other targets in Jazan. The Saudi coalition says it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis from Sanaa Airport toward the Saudi city of Abha.
• December 6-7, 2021: On December 6, the Houthis claim to launch several ballistic missiles and 25 armed drones against Saudi targets, including an Aramco oil facility in Jeddah and the defense ministry in Riyadh. A Houthi spokesman says the strikes are retaliation for 47 airstrikes against Houthi targets in Marib in the past 24 hours. The spokesman also claims the Houthis targeted Riyadh airport. The Saudi military intercepts one ballistic missile over Riyadh. No casualties or damage are reported. On December 7, the Saudi coalition bombs Houthi targets around Sanaa, Marib, and Jouf.
• December 5, 2021: Houthi militants exchange gunfire with coalition forces in Marib, resulting in the deaths of at least 25 Houthi fighters.
• November 19-20, 2021: On November 19, the Saudi government says it destroyed three Houthi drones launched toward southern Saudi Arabia and a fourth over Yemen. The government also says the Houthis “failed to launch two ballistic missiles,” which fell inside Yemen. The following day, the Houthis claim they had launched 14 drones at Aramco refineries in Jeddah as well as military targets in Riyadh, Jeddah, Abha, Jizan, and Najran. The Saudi military announces attacks against 13 Houthi targets in Yemen, hitting weapons depots, air defense systems, and drones’ communication systems in Sanaa, Saada, and Marib provinces.
• November 13, 2021: Houthi and coalition forces clash in Hodeidah and coalition warplanes strike the Al Faza area south of Hodeidah. The Saudi military denies it is withdrawing.
• November 10, 2021: Houthi militants storm the former U.S. Embassy in Sanaa and take captive U.S.-employed Yemeni security personnel. Most of the captives are freed by November 12. The U.S. Department of State calls on the Houthis to release the remaining captives, vacate the building, and return all seized property. The United States closed its embassy in 2015.
• October 31, 2021: The Houthis launch two ballistic missiles that strike a mosque and a religious school in Marib province. The attack kills and injures 29.
• October 30, 2021: The Houthis launch a mortar strike in Taiz, southern Yemen. The explosion kills four and injures two others. Despite not being close to the battlefields or military bases under the government’s control, Taiz is one of a series of residential areas that have been targeted by the Houthis, resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians.
• October 28, 2021: The Houthis launch a missile that strikes a tribal leader’s home south of Marib. The explosion kills thirteen and injures 16 others.
• October 23, 2021: The Houthis launch a ballistic missile that fails to reach its target and instead strikes a residential area in Dhamar province, northern Yemen. Media reports claim over dozens of civilians were killed or wounded in the missile attack.
• October 2021: The Houthis allegedly kidnap at least 47 people in al-Abdiyah while searching for Yemeni soldiers and tribesmen resisting their occupation. The Houthis reportedly question the captured civilians about relatives serving in the Yemeni forces and allied militias. Local authorities issue pleas to the United Nations and international aid groups to intervene before the 35,000 people living in the district die of starvation. On October 12, the internationally recognized Yemeni government declares southern Marib a military zone following Houthi gains in the area. On October 18, the Arab coalition announces it has carried out 38 operations targeting the Houthis in al-Abdiyah, resulting in the deaths of more than 150 Houthi militants. On October 26, the coalition announces the deaths of more than 85 Houthi fighters in targeted strikes in the al-Jawba and al-Kassara districts in Marib. Since October 11, the coalition has killed more than 2,000 Houthis around Marib city, with 218 of those deaths occurring in an airstrike around Marib city on October 31.
• October 16-17, 2021: On October 16, the U.S. State Department condemns the Houthis’ “flagrant disregard for the safety of civilians” during their offensive in Marib. On October 17, the Houthis claim to have seized three districts in Shabwa province in southern Yemen and two more districts in Marib.
• October 8-9, 2021: The Houthis increase shelling and ground attacks on the Marib western district of al-Kassara on October 8. Government forces reportedly kill at least 100 Houthi fighters, forcing the Houthis to end their attack on al-Kassara by October 9.
• October 7, 2021: Houthis targeted the residential al-Rawdah neighborhood in Marib for the second time within a few days, killing at least 29 civilians.
• October 3, 2021: The Houthis fire three ballistic missiles toward Marib, killing two children and wounding at least 33 other people. One of the missiles lands in the al-Rawdah neighborhood, which is home to thousands of displaced people. The missile struck a house, killing a 4-year-old girl and her 2-year-old brother. Their parents were also wounded. The other two missiles targeted military areas of the city. The U.S. Embassy in Yemen condemns the attack. Yemeni officials pledge to punish the Houthis for the attack.
• September 27, 2021: Fighting continues in Marib as military and medical sources report at least 67 pro-government troops and Houthi rebels are wounded.
• September 23, 2021: The Houthis begin a siege of Marib’s al-Abdiyah district, sparking a humanitarian crisis as the Houthis block medical and other humanitarian aid. Local tribes fight to repel the Houthis but the Houthis advance in the district over the following month. Aid workers on the ground accuse the Houthis of committing genocide in al-Abdiyah by denying access to humanitarian organizations and shelling hospitals and other vulnerable civilian targets.
• September 18, 2021: A Houthi firing squad executes nine people in Sanaa. The nine were accused of involvement in the killing of senior Houthi official Saleh al-Samad on April 19, 2018. Samad was president of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council. He and six others were killed in a Saudi airstrike in Hodeida province. Altogether, the Houthis accused more than 60 people of involvement in Samad’s death, including U.S. President Donald Trump, and Western, Israeli, and Gulf Arab officials.
• September 11, 2021: Militants fire a ballistic missile and explosive-laden drones toward the Red Sea port city of Mocha in Yemen, destroying several warehouses of humanitarian aid. No casualties are reported. Officials from the internationally recognized government blame the Houthis, who do not immediately claim responsibility for the attack.
• September 8, 2021: Houthi forces capture Marib’s Rahabah district. Yemen’s internationally backed government had initially recaptured the district in July, but lost control to the Houthis after heaving fighting that resulted in the death of 65 fighters from both sides.
• September 5, 2021: Saudi military forces intercept three ballistic missiles targeting the southern cities of Najran and Jazan, as well as Dammam in Saudi Arabia’s eastern region. There are no reported casualties in Najran and Jazan, but shrapnel from the missile fired toward Damman injures two children and damages 14 houses. The Saudi government blames the Houthis.
• September 2-4, 2021: The Houthis continue their assault on Marib in northern Yemen, killing 22 pro-government forces and wounding 50. At least 48 Houthi fighters are also killed within 48 hours of clashes.
• September 1, 2021: Saudi forces intercept and destroy three Houthi drones over Yemen, which the Saudis say were targeting civilian.
• August 31, 2021: Armed drones strike Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport, wounding at least eight and damaging a civilian plane. The Houthis do not claim responsibility but are suspected of carrying out the strike. The Saudi government accuses the Houthis of war crimes for repeatedly targeting the airport.
• August 29, 2021: Houthi forces launch armed drones and ballistic missiles toward the al-Anad military base in southern Yemen, killing at least 30 soldiers and wounding 60.
• August 29-31, 2021: Houthi fighters launch multiple attacks on government positions around Marib and the surrounding areas of al-Mashjah, al-Kassara, Jabal Murad, and Rahabah. On August 30, at least 11 government-aligned soldiers are killed and several are reportedly wounded. Iranian media claim dozens of Arab coalition fighters are killed in the fighting. Yemen’s Armed Forces Guidance Department estimates at least 800 Houthi fighters are killed during the 72 hours of fighting. Military officials claim Iran sent military experts and fighters from the IRGC, Iraq, and Lebanon to provide reinforcements to the Houthis. Yemeni officials accuse the IRGC of firing ballistic missiles and drones inside and outside of Yemen.
• August 9, 2021: The Arab coalition intercepts and destroys two explosives-laden Houthi drones over southern Saudi Arabia. The coalition accuses the Houthis of deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
• July 29, 2021: The Houthis blow up the house of Taleb Durkom, brother of Brigadier General Ahmed Saeed Durkom and a commander in the government forces in Marib. Taleb Durkom writes on Facebook the act won’t deter government-backed forces from confronting the Houthis.
• July 25, 2021: The Houthis blow up the al-Zaher home of Hussein al-Humaiqani, who aided government forces in capturing al-Zaher from the Houthis earlier in the month. Moammar al-Eryani, the information minister in the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, condemns the Houthis for “deliberately” blowing up “citizens’ homes in the matter of terrorist organizations, terrorizing citizens and systematically avenging anyone who disagrees with it.”
• July 14-20, 2021: On July 14, government-backed forces recapture the Rahabah district, southwest of Marib, from the Houthis. The Houthis launch a counteroffensive and recapture some of the territory. On July 20, the Houthis blow up the home of Marib’s emergency police chief, Brigadier General Ahmed Saeed Durkom.
• July 5-8, 2021: On July 5, government-backed forces recapture the Yemeni town of a-Zaher from the Houthis. On July 8, the Houthis retake al-Zaher.
• July 4, 2021: Houthi militias launch a missile targeting a mosque in a Yemeni army base in the Modiya district of the southern governorate of Abyan. The explosion kills five and injures at least 15. The assault occurred after government loyalists reclaimed ground in the central governorate of al-Bayda, a location that is critical to Houthi supply routes.
• June 29, 2021: Houthi rebels launch two missiles targeting the government-held city of Marib. The attack kills three people and injures at least 10 others. The Houthis claimed they targeted military camps in the city.
• June 20, 2021: Saudi forces destroy a Houthi drone launched toward Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.
• June 19, 2021: Saudi forces reportedly intercept 17 armed drones launched toward the country by Houthi forces.
• June 14, 2021: The Houthis claim to launch a drone toward Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport. The Saudis do not confirm the attack.
• June 10, 2021: The Houthis launch a missile in Marib, hitting a women’s prison and mosque. The attack kills at least eight and wounds as many as 27.
• June 6, 2021: The Houthis launch a ballistic missile that targets Marib. The missile strikes a gas station that kills 17 people and wounds five others. Yemeni Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Moammar al-Eryani claims the attack amounts to a war crime.
• May 31, 2021: The Houthis claim a drone strike against the King Khalid military air base in Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities do not confirm the strike.
• April 26, 2021: Following two days of fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition which backs Yemen’s government, more than 65 people are killed. The Houthis advance towards Marib city and take full control of the Kassara battlefield in the northwest.
• April 23, 2021: The Houthis claim responsibility for drone strikes on the King Khalid air base and on an Aramco facility in Jizan, Saudi Arabia.
• April 17, 2021: The Houthis claim responsibility for a drone strike on the King Khalid air base in Mushait, Saudi Arabia.
• April 15-16, 2021: The Houthis continue their offensive in Marib, reportedly killing 36 Yemeni troops. At least 60 Houthi fighters are also reportedly killed during the clashes.
• April 15, 2021: The Houthis abduct Yemeni model and actress Entesar Al-Hammadi for posing in pictures without a hijab. The Houthis reportedly intend to prosecute Hammadi for violating Islamic culture and dress codes.
• April 12, 2021: The Houthis claim responsibility for overnight drone strikes on Aramco facilities in Jeddah and Jubail in Saudi Arabia. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claims the Houthis also fired five drones and two ballistic missiles at “sensitive military areas” in Khamis Mushait and Jizan. Saudi officials do not confirm the attacks on the Aramco facilities but claim the missiles and drones targeting Khamis Mushait and Jizan were intercepted.
• April 11-17, 2021: Houthi militants evict 20 academics and their families from university housing in Sanaa. The Houthis reportedly seek to install academics loyal to their cause within area universities.
• April 11, 2021: The Saudi-led coalition intercepts six explosives-laden drones targeting the kingdom.
• April 3, 2021: The Saudi military claims it destroyed an explosives-filled boat in the Red Sea, launched by the Houthis.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-saudi-redsea-idUSKBN2BQ0FW.
• April 1, 2021: The Houthis claim to launch four armed drones toward Riyadh. Saudi authorities do not confirm the drone attacks but do confirm they destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile in Yemen before it could launch.
• Early April 2021: Within 12 days, the Houthis reportedly kidnap more than 12 doctors and 17 health care workers from hospitals in Sanaa because they had refused to treat wounded Houthi fighters.
• March 30, 2021: The Saudi-led coalition destroys two Houthi drones launched toward Saudi Arabia.
• March 28, 2021: The Saudi-led coalition destroys explosive-filled boats the Houthis launched from the port of Hodeidah. According to Saudi officials, the Houthis planned an “imminent” attack with the boats. Separately, the coalition intercepts and destroys three armed drones launched toward southern Saudi Arabia.
• March 28, 2021: Houthi forces expel 13 members of three Jewish families from Sanaa, effectively deporting the last of Sanaa’s millennia-old Jewish community except for four remaining seniors. The 13 reportedly await the United Nations to relocate them as they refuse to go to Israel.
• March 25-26, 2021: On March 26, the Houthis claim they sent 18 armed drones to attack energy and military sites in Saudi Arabia over the past day. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea says the Houthis targeted Saudi Aramco facilities in Ras al-Tanura, Rabigh, Yanbu, and Jazan, as well as the King Abdelaziz military base in Dammam and military sites in Najran and Asir. The Saudi energy ministry reports a projectile had struck a petroleum products distribution station in Jazan on March 25, causing a small fire but no casualties. On March 26, Saudi forces intercept and destroy a Houthi ballistic missile fired toward the Saudi city of Najran. The Saudi-led coalition also destroys an armed drone heading toward Saudi Arabia’s Khamis Mushait.
• March 25, 2021: Saudi defenses intercept and destroy eight armed drones fired by the Houthi militias toward universities in Jizan and Najran.
• March 20, 2021: The Saudi air force intercepts and destroys an explosives-filled Houthi drone headed toward Khamis Mushait. In response to that attack and the previous day’s drone attack, Saudi forces launch airstrikes on Houthi military camps in and around Sanaa.
• March 19, 2021: Houthi militants launch armed drones toward a Saudi Aramco oil facility in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The drones cause a fire but no injuries or deaths. The fire is quickly brought under control and causes minimal damage.
• March 16, 2021: Shells from a Houthi rocket strike a market in Marib, killing one and wounding eight others. Separately, Houthi militants in Saada launch two ballistic missiles toward Saudi Arabia, which land in uninhabited areas in southern Saudi Arabia. Saudi forces respond by destroying a bunker and launch pads in Saada.
• March 15, 2021: The Houthis launch armed drones at Abuha Airport and King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, both in Saudi Arabia. Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea claims the drones struck their intended targets. The Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a drone targeting Khamis Mushait but does not confirm the other strikes.
• March 7, 2021: Houthi security forces launch three tear gas cannisters into a protest at a migrant center in Sanaa, causing a fire that kills 45 people and wounds more than 200. Most of the fatalities are Ethiopian immigrants. Later in the month, the Houthis admit their forces caused the fire. The Houthis detain 11 security personnel and claim no authorization had been given to use the tear gas.
• March 2021: The Houthis continue to clash with Yemen’s army for the government-controlled city of Marib. On March 3, the Houthis announce they have taken control of 10 of Marib’s 14 districts, while the Saudi-backed government remains in control of the city’s center. On March 10, the Houthis fire a ballistic missile toward Marib, which the Saudi military destroys. On March 11, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany issue a joint statement condemning the Houthi offensive.
• March 7, 2021: Houthi security forces launch three tear gas cannisters into a protest at a migrant center in Sanaa, causing a fire that kills 45 people and wounds more than 200. Most of the fatalities are Ethiopian immigrants. Later in the month, the Houthis admit their forces caused the fire. The Houthis detain 11 security personnel and claim no authorization had been given to use the tear gas. Later in the month, Ethiopian activists in Sanaa announce they are pursuing legal counsel to file a lawsuit against Houthi leaders in the International Criminal Court over responsibility for the fire.
• March 4, 2021: The Houthis claim to launch a ballistic missile at an Aramco distribution facility in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Aramco and Saudi officials do not confirm the attack.
• February 28, 2021: Shelling destroys a home near Yemen’s port of Hodeidah, killing five, including a child. Saudi and Houthi forces accuse one another of responsibility for the attack.
• February 27, 2021: The Saudi military intercepts and destroys a ballistic missile and three armed drones over Riyadh, which they accuse the Houthis of launching. There are no reported casualties, but debris from the destroyed missile damages a home in Riyadh. The United States calls on the Houthis to end all attacks.
• February 11, 2021: Saudi forces reportedly intercept and destroy a Houthi drone near the town of Khamis Mushait, which hosts a key airbase in southern Saudi Arabia.
• February 10, 2021: Houthi drones armed with bombs target Abha airport in southwest Saudi Arabia. There are no casualties reported, but a civilian plane is damaged.
• February 7-8, 2021: On February 7, Houthi militants launch drone and rocket attacks on Marib, as well as ground attacks on al-Jawf. The following day, Houthi fighters continue an offensive operation into Marib. Government forces push back the Houthis and capture several fighters. At least 29 people are killed, and dozens are wounded in the fighting.
• January 6, 2021: Houthi militants kidnap three engineers employed by the Safer Company for Oil Exploration and Production in Sanaa. Two of the engineers are kidnapped off a bus, while the third is taken at his home. Separately, Houthi attacks on homes in Taiz leave six dead and seven wounded. Four of the dead are children.
• December 30, 2020: As a plane carrying Yemen’s newly confirmed government arrives from Saudi Arabia, an explosion at Aden’s airport kills at least 25 and wounds more than 110 others. The Saudi-led coalition reportedly shoots down a bomb-laden drone over a palace where the new cabinet members were taken after arrival. No cabinet ministers are injured in the attack. Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed accuses the Houthi militia and its primary sponsor, Iran, of responsibility. According to investigators, the Houthis fired four ballistic missiles at the airport. A Houthi official denies responsibility. A March 2021 U.N. report confirms the Houthis’ responsibility for the attack. On March 26, U.N. investigators present their report to the U.N. committee that oversees Yemen-related sanctions, but Russia blocks the report’s wider release.
• December 16, 2020: An unidentified projectile strikes Saudi Arabia’s Jizan province, causing no damage or casualties. Saudi authorities blame the Houthis.
• December 14, 2020: An explosives-filled boat attacks a Singapore-flagged oil tanker near Saudi Arabia’s port city of Jeddah, causing a small fire but no casualties. The Houthis are suspected in the attack.
• December 3, 2020: Mortar shells strike the Thabit Brothers industrial compound in Hodeidah, killing at least eight and wounding 13 others. The government blames Houthi militants.
• November 25, 2020: An explosion damages a Maltese-flagged oil tanker in the Saudi port of Shuqaiq, causing minor damage. The Saudi government blames the Houthis.
• November 22, 2020: Houthi forces fire a missile that strikes a Saudi Aramco oil company distribution center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. According to Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea, the strike was carried out in response to the Saudi-led coalition’s actions in Yemen. Sarea also stated that foreign companies and Saudi residents should exercise caution as Houthi “operations will continue.”
• October 28, 2020: The Saudi-led Arab coalition destroys six Houthi drones and three ballistic missiles targeting Saudi Arabia. There is no reported damage.
• October 23-25, 2020: Houthi drones target the Jizan and Abha airports and the Khamis Mushait base in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi military intercepts four drones over the three-day period.
• October 5, 2020: The Arab coalition in Yemen destroys a remote-controlled explosive-filled Houthi boat near As-Salif, Yemen.
• October 4, 2020: A Houthi missile launched from Yemen hits Jizan, Saudi Arabia. There are no reported casualties.
• October 1, 2020: Houthi fighters attack an army post in Al Hodeidah province. At least three militants are killed.
• September 23, 2020: The Houthis launch a missile against a Saudi base near the Yemen border, allegedly killing 10, according to Iranian media.
• September 19, 2020: Houthi rebels launch a missile that targets Saudi Arabia’s Jizan province. The attack wounds five civilians.
• September 10, 2020: Houthi rebels launch a ballistic missile and drones toward Riyadh, which Saudi forces intercept. The Houthis claim to have attacked an “important target.” According to Sarea, the attacks are “a response to the enemy’s permanent escalation and its continuing blockade against our country” and will continue as long as Saudi Arabia “continues its aggression” against Yemen.
• August 16, 2020: Houthi rebels launch a missile attack in both the northeast and east of Sanaa. The attacks kill nine soldiers and wound four others.
• July 13, 2020: Houthi rebels claim to have launched a missile attack from Sanaa on a large oil facility in Jizan, Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led military fighting the Houthis allege they intercept the attack. Yahya Sarea, the Houthi’s military spokesman, claims that the group also launched attacks on Saudi military sites near the Yemen border on the same day, killing and injuring dozens of military officers. However, Saudi Arabia does not confirm the attack.
• June 23, 2020: A Houthi military spokesman claims the rebels launched drone and ballistic missile strikes on Riyadh, targeting the defense and intelligence ministries as well as an air base. The Saudi government says it intercepted one ballistic missile but has no comment on other projectiles.
• April 6, 2020: Houthi rebels launch a shelling attack in Taiz, southwestern Yemen. The shelling hits a women’s prison, killing at least six prisoners.
• March 28, 2020: Houthi rebels launch ballistic missiles, targeting Riyadh and Jizan, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s air defenses intercept the attack. However, two civilians are injured from debris fallout.
• March 17, 2020: Houthi rebels launch ballistic missiles in Al-Yatma, north of Al-Jawf. The attack targeted a meeting of senior military and tribal leaders, including Amin Al-Akeemi, the governor of Al-Jawf. Al-Akeemi survives the attack, but four others are killed.
• March 14, 2020: Houthi militants carry out a missile attack in Taiz, southwest Yemen. The missile strikes a civilian vehicle, killing five and wounding an unconfirmed number of others.
• February 11, 2020: Houthi rebels carry out a missile attack against the Amajed army base in Abyan, southern Yemen. The attack kills three soldiers and wounds 15 others.
• January 25, 2020 – January 30, 2020: Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, releases a statement claiming the Iran-aligned group has launched 26 rocket attacks between January 25th and the 30th against airports in southern Saudi Arabia. The targets also included the facilities of oil company Saudi Aramco, and “two sensitive targets.” Saudi authorities have not confirmed the strikes, but if confirmed, they will be the first by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia since September 2019.
• January 2020: On January 18, ballistic missiles strike a mosque at the al-Estiqbal military camp in Marib, killing at least 116 people. It is reportedly one of the deadliest attacks in the civil war. There are no immediate claims of responsibility but the government blames Houthi rebels. On January 20, government forces fight Houthi rebels east of Marib. Senior Houthi commander Jaber Al Muwaed is reportedly killed in the fighting.
• December 29, 2019: A ballistic missile strikes a military parade for new recruits held at a soccer field in the capital of Dhale Province by the UAE-backed separatist militia the Resistance Forces. The attack kills at least 10, including four children, and wounds 21. There are no immediate claims of responsibility but the militia blames Houthi rebels.
• November 17, 2019: Houthi rebels hijack the Saudi tugboat Rabigh-3 while it is towing a South Korean drilling rig in the Red Sea. A Houthi spokesman acknowledges the seizure in what he calls a “suspicious case” off the Yemeni coast. He says the boat will be released if it is determined to belong to South Korea.
• November 6, 2019: Houthi rebels launch drones and fire at least four missiles at warehouses in the port town of al-Makha, killing at least eight and wounding at least 12. At least three other missiles are intercepted. The warehouses are used by the Giants Bridges militia allied with Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Government forces say the attack also targeted a refugee camp and a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders.
• September 28, 2019: Houthi rebels claim to have killed 500 Saudi soldiers, captured a further 2,000, and seized a convoy of Saudi military vehicles in the southern Najran region of Saudi Arabia. The claims could not be corroborated have been denied by Saudi forces.
• September 24, 2019: Saudi forces intercept and destroy two ballistic missiles fired from Sanaa.
• September 14, 2019: Drone attacks are launched on two key oil installations in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. The Houthis claim responsibility for the attack. Although there are no casualties, the damaged oil facilities process the majority of the country’s crude output which raises the risk of a disruption in world oil supplies. In January 2020, a U.N. Security Council investigation concludes that the Houthis did not carry out the attack.
• September 3, 2019: Houthi rebels launch multiple drone attacks on King Khalid Air Base in the southwest of Saudi Arabia. Earlier in the day, Houthis fire several ballistic missiles towards Najran airport in the southwest of the kingdom. No casualties or injuries are reported in both instances.
• September 1, 2019: The Saudi-led military coalition launch airstrikes in southwest Yemen, eventually hitting a prison complex. The Sunni Muslim coalition says it destroyed a site storing drones and missiles in Dhamar. Over 100 people are killed in the attack. The head of the Houthis’ national committee for prisoner affairs, Abdul Qader al-Mortada, said many of those held were due to be released in a local deal to exchange prisoners of war.
• August 28, 2019: Houthi rebels launch a cruise missile towards Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport. Yahya Saria, the group’s military spokesman, confirms Houthi responsibility for the attack. The missile targeted plane hangars and led to air traffic being halted in the airport. No casualties or injuries are reported. Also that day, the Houthis launch armed drones on “military targets” in the Saudi regions of Jizan and Najran.
• August 27, 2019: Saudi-led coalition forces intercept and down a Houthi drone launched toward the kingdom from Yemen. Houthi’s Al Masirah TV does not announce the attack. Also on the 27th, Houthi rebels conduct a large-scale attack in Saada. As many as 25 soldiers of the Saudi-backed government forces are killed and an unreported number are injured.
• August 26, 2019: Houthi rebels launch armed drones at a “military target” in Riyadh. It is unreported if there are any casualties or injuries.
• August 25, 2019: Houthi rebels fire 10 ballistic missiles at Jizan airport in southwest Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition intercepts and destroys at least six of the missiles. It is unreported if there were any casualties in the attack. That same day, the Arab military coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen intercept and down a drone that the rebels claim they launched in the direction of a Saudi airbase. A Houthi military spokesperson cited by the group’s Al Masirah TV earlier said the group had launched drones targeting the control towers of the Abha airport and the Khamis Mushait airbase, both in the southwest of the kingdom.
• August 22, 2019: Houthi forces launch two drones towards the city of Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia. Saudi forces intercept and down the two drones.
• August 21, 2019: Houthi rebels shoot down a U.S. drone with an air missile. The U.S. suspects the missile to be provided by Iran although the Houthis claim the weapon was developed locally.
• August 19, 2019: The Houthis launch a ballistic missile on a military parade in the province of Marib. Official numbers have not been reported, but the attack kills and wounds dozens of soldiers.
• August 17, 2019: Houthi rebels deploy 10 drones to strike Saudi Arabia’s Shaybah oil field, one of the kingdom’s largest. There are no injuries and no disruption to the field’s production.
• August 16, 2019: The Houthis launch drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Abha international airport, halting air traffic. The Saudi-led coalition reports that the drone was intercepted and shot down.
• August 13, 2019: Yemen’s Houthi movement launches drone attacks on the airport of Abha in southwest Saudi Arabia.
• August 5, 2019: Houthi forces launch drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid Air Base and Abha and Najran airports.
• August 1, 2019: Houthi rebels initiate twin attacks in the city of Aden. Suicide bombers blast a police station in one neighborhood while the rebels fire a missile at a military parade of UAE-trained militia. At least 51 people are killed in the attacks.
• July 29, 2019: The Saudi-coalition launches an airstrike on a market in northern Yemen, killing 14 people and wounding more than 26 others. The attack is a response to a Houthi drone attack on a Saudi airbase.
• July 28, 2019: Houthi forces launch indiscriminate attacks in the Al-Rawdhah neighborhood of Taiz. The attack kills one child and injures three others.
• July 20, 2019: Saudi-coalition fighter jets take out at least five Houthi air defense sites around Sanaa.
• July 16, 2019: Houthi forces launch a drone attack on Jizan airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
• July 15, 2019: The Saudi-led coalition intercepts and downs three Houthi drones that were launched towards the southwestern Saudi cities of Jizan and Abha.
• July 6, 2019: Houthi forces carry out drone attacks on military sites at the Abha airport in southern Saudi Arabia. Earlier that day, Houthis also claim targeting warplane hangars and other military sites in Saudi Jizan airport.
• July 2, 2019: The Houthis again strike Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport, this time with a drone, injuring nine.
• June 23, 2019: The Houthis successfully strike Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport with a cruise missile, killing one.
• June 19, 2019: A Houthi-launched projectile hits a power-transformer station near a desalination plant in Saudi Arabia.
• June 12, 2019: The Houthis successfully strike Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport with a cruise missile, injuring a reported 26.
• June 11, 2019: The Houthis launch two drones at the southwest Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.
• May 21, 2019: The Houthis attack an airport in the Saudi city of Najran with a bomb-laden drone.
• May 20, 2019: The Houthis launch two ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government says it intercepted the missiles over Mecca province.
• May 15, 2019: Fighting resumes between the Houthis and pro-government forces in Hodeidah, threatening the cease-fire there.
• May 14, 2019: The Houthis carry out several drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
• March 11, 2019: After weeks of intense fighting, Houthi forces seize several besieged villages in northern Yemen. Pro-government media outlets accuse the Houthis of killing 62 civilians and displacing 268 families. The Houthis blame the Saudi-backed coalition for some of the civilian deaths.
• February 17, 2019: Houthi forces launch several attacks across Yemen’s northern border killing nine Saudi soldiers in the provinces of Aseer, Jazan, and Najran.
• January 10, 2019: Houthi forces target a Yemeni military parade with a drone, killing five and wounding twenty soldiers, including the Yemeni army’s chief of staff who would later die of his wounds.
• January 5, 2019: Houthi forces kill two civilians and wound 16 others when they shell the 7th July neighborhood of Taiz.
• December 7, 2018: An Associated Press report accuses the Houthis of carrying out rampant detention and torture of political opponents in areas under its control.
• October 5, 2018: Houthi forces fire three shells at an IDP camp in Hodeidah, killing one woman and injuring others.
• September 20, 2018: Saudi Arabia intercepts two Houthi-controlled boats laden with explosives outside of the Saudi port of Jizan.
• September 15, 2018: Saudi Arabia intercepts a Houthi missile targeting Jizan, Saudi Arabia.
• September 5, 2018: The Houthis launch a ballistic missile at the Saudi city of Najran. Twenty-six people are wounded by shrapnel when the missile is intercepted by Saudi defense systems.
• September 4, 2018: The Houthis claim a missile attack on an Aramco facility in Saudi Arabia’s Jizan province.
• August 27, 2018: The Houthis claim to target a UAE airport with a drone. The UAE denies the attack occurred and there is no evidence of any damage to the facility.
• August 9, 2018: The Houthis launch a ballistic missile at the Saudi city of Jizan, killing one civilian and wounding 11 others.
• August 6, 2018: Houthi rebels launch a missile at the Saudi city of Najran. The missile is intercepted by Saudi air defense systems and no casualties are reported.
• August 4, 2018: The Houthis claim to conduct a drone attack against a Saudi military base in the country’s Asir province.
• July 25, 2018: The Houthis slightly damage a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea.
• July 18, 2018: The Houthis claim to have attacked a Saudi Aramco refinery in Riyadh with a drone. The oil company denies this claim, stating that the fire at the facility was caused by “an operational incident.”
• June 13, 2018: The Houthis strike a UAE naval vessel with two missiles near Hodeidah. The attack occurs during a Saudi-led operation to recapture the port city.
• June 10, 2018: The Houthis launch a missile at Saudi Arabia’s Jizan province, killing three civilians.
• May 10, 2018: The Houthis are suspected of targeting and damaging a Turkish cargo ship delivering 50,000 tons of wheat to the Yemeni port of Salif.
• May 9, 2018: The Houthis fire multiple missiles at Riyadh targeting “economic centers.” At least four blasts are heard throughout the city.
• April 28, 2018: The Houthis launch eight ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia’s Jizan province. Four missiles are intercepted and one Saudi national is killed.
• April 11, 2018: The Houthis launch a ballistic missile at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and claim to conduct a drone attack on a Saudi Aramco oil refinery in Jizan province.
• April 3, 2018: The Houthis claim to damage a coalition warship near Hodeidah while Saudi Arabia claims the group targeted an oil tanker, causing only minor damage to the ship.
• March 25, 2018: Houthi rebels fire seven modified scud missiles at Saudi Arabia. Four missiles target air defense and military bases in the cities of Abha, Jizan, and Najran. Three missiles target Riyadh, killing one civilian.
• January 30, 2018: The Houthis launch a ballistic missile at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Airport.
• January 8, 2018: The Houthis release a video that they claim shows the rebels shooting down a Royal Saudi Air Force F-15S over Yemen. Saudi Arabia confirms the crash but says it is due to “technical errors.”
• December 19, 2017: The Houthis target Al Yamama royal palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with a missile. Saudi forces says it intercepted the missile.
• December 2-4, 2017: On December 2, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh offers to “turn a new page” with the Saudi-led coalition fighting against Houthi forces if the Saudis end their month-long blockade of the country. Saleh’s supporters had until then fought alongside Houthi rebels, but the Houthis view Saleh’s offer as a betrayal and fighting breaks out between the rebels and Saleh’s loyalists. At least 125 people are killed and 238 are wounded in the fighting. On December 4, Houthi forces stop Saleh at a checkpoint as he is trying to leave Sanaa and kill the former president. The Houthi-controlled Interior Ministry announces Saleh’s death later in the day. Saleh’s General People’s Congress party confirms he was killed by a sniper. Houthi forces also announce that they had blown up Saleh’s home in Sanaa.
• January 30, 2017: Houthis attack a Saudi ship off the coast of Yemen, allegedly ramming into the ship and causing an explosion, killing two crew members and injuring three. Separately, the group launches a ballistic missile on a Saudi military base on the Red Sea island of Zuqar. Rockets also hit and damage U.N. offices in southern Saudi Arabia in an attack Saudi Arabia attributed to Houthis.
• November 19, 2016: The Houthis are accused by a Saudi general of launching a ballistic missile at the eastern Saudi province of Marib, in violation of a cease-fire.
• October 27, 2016: Houthis launch a ballistic missile toward the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement by the Saudi-led coalition. Houthis confirm that they had launched a missile into Saudi Arabia but claim that they had been aiming for King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
• October 9, 2016 – October 13, 2016: Houthis are believed to be behind a series of attacks against the U.S. Navy, leading the United States to engage the rebels directly for the first time since the crisis began launching counter-attacks in Houthi-held areas. On October 9, suspected Houthi rebels fire a pair of missiles in a failed attack on the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Mason near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. On October 12, the Houthis are allegedly behind another failed missile attack on the Mason. The U.S. Navy launches Tomahawk cruise missiles against Houthi-controlled radar sites along the Yemeni coast.
• September 24, 2016: Arab coalition forces kill head of Houthi Special Forces Major-General Hassan Almalsi while he and a squad of Houthi fighters were attempting to infiltrate Saudi Arabia’s southern province of Najran.
• September 21, 2016: Suspected Houthi rebels in the Island of Hanish and Zagar attack the Eritrean international airport and Navy headquarters in Assab, a port city in the Southern Red Sea region of Eritrea. The mortar attack causes damage to the sites.
• August 2016 – September 2016: Houthi forces continue to launch missiles into Saudi Arabia and continue to clash with Saudi and Arab coalition forces along the Saudi-Yemen border. On August 2, UAE forces foil a Houthi forces offensive attempting to recapture strategic locations in Yemen’s southcentral province of Shabwa, killing 30 militants. On August 10, Houthi forces launch two intercepted missiles targeting the southern Saudi city of Abha in a failed attack. The next day, Saudi forces kill Iranian-backed Houthi leader Saleh al-Houthi Mouawad Kibsi and 40 other Houthi militants near the kingdom’s southwestern border with Yemen. Throughout the rest of the month and into September, Houthi forces continue to launch missiles into Saudi Arabia’s southern provinces, killing at least 10 civilians. On September 4, Houthi rebels attack the Saudi border towns of Midi and Haradh, killing between 40 and 50 individuals, including government soldiers. A week later, Houthi rebels claim they captured a Saudi military post in the border region of Jizan. The Saudi military denies these claims.
• July 28, 2016 – August 3, 2016: Houthi militants abduct and murder four tribal sheikhs from Yemen’s Al Bayda province. The bodies display evidence of torture before they were each shot in the head.
• May 2016 – July 2016: Houthi forces attack Saudi and Yemeni targets along the Yemen border and across the Yemen-Saudi border, collectively killing at least 40 individuals. On May 1, Houthi rebels attack and seize a Saudi military base north of the capital of Sanaa, killing several soldiers guarding the base. On May 8, Houthi rebels conduct a failed missile attack across the Saudi border, violating a truce agreement. Saudi forces intercept the missile and do not retaliate to maintain the truce. Later that month, Houthi rebels and Arab coalition forces clash in southern Yemen, killing 48 individuals, including 28 rebels and 20 coalition soldiers. On June 3, Houthi rebels launched rockets at the western city of Taiz, killing at least 17 civilians, including 10 women and a girl, in a busy marketplace. During the first week of July, Houthi militants fire a missile towards the southern Saudi city of Abha. Saudi forces intercept the missile, leaving no casualties. They also fire a rocket into Yemen’s border town of Marib, killing seven children and wounding 25 other civilians. On July 25, Houthi forces launch a ballistic missile into the Saudi Ahad Al-Masarihah Military Camp along the Yemen border, destroying several armored vehicles and killing a large number of soldiers.
• January 7, 2016: Houthi forces repel a Saudi Arabian attack at Tawwal border-crossing, killing an estimated 40-60 Saudi troops.
• December 25, 2015: Houthi rebels launch a failed attack on Yemeni forces stationed near Jabal Al Salb.
• December 18-22, 2015: Houthi rebels fire four rockets into Saudi territory. Three are shot down, though one hits a desert area east of Najran city on December 18.
• December 14, 2015: In one of the deadliest attacks to date, Houthis launch a missile into Taez province, killing at least 146 people.
• December 1, 2015: Houthis attempt and fail to seize Saudi territory near the border with Yemen.
• June 6, 2015: Houthi rebels fire a Scud missile into Saudi Arabia from Yemen in apparent retaliation for two months of Saudi and coalition airstrikes.
• June 1, 2015: The Houthis release one American detainee, Casey Coombs. At least three other Americans are still being held captive by the Houthis.
• May 29, 2015: The Houthis continue to battle for control of Aden. They detain at least four Americans in the country’s capital.
• May 12-14, 2015: The Houthis accept a five-day humanitarian cease-fire, but are accused of violating the truce within 24 hours.
• April 2, 2015: Houthi fighters take control of Aden’s central Crater neighborhood and fight their way into a presidential residence nearby.
• March 19, 2015: Warplanes target the president’s palace in Aden, where President Hadi had sought refuge since fleeing Sanaa.
• February 2015: The Houthis seize power and announce that a transitional five-member presidential council will replace President Hadi, drawing protest from the U.N. Security Council.
• December 13, 2014: AQAP militants kill at least 30 Houthi fighters as they battle for control of the city of Radaa.
• December 2014: Yemeni and Iranian officials claim that Iran is supplying Houthi rebels with weapons, money, and training.
• September 20, 2014: The Houthis shell the official state television building, setting it ablaze and ultimately capturing it. Sanaa residents claim that Houthis control several other government sites, including the prime minister’s buildings and an army command center.
• August 30, 2014: Houthis kill at least ten soldiers and local militia fighters in clashes.
• July 8, 2014: At least 100 are killed and 150 wounded as the Houthis capture Omran.
• July 5, 2014: The cease-fire between the government and the Houthis collapses and Yemen’s air force bombs Houthi fighters in northern Yemen, killing 70 people.
• June 18, 2014: Houthi fighters advance toward the capital, clashing with Yemeni forces 25 miles outside of Sanaa.
• May 29, 2014: Houthis attack a checkpoint and two other locations, killing five tribesmen.
• May 20, 2014: Houthis attack Yemeni security outposts near Oman; seven Yemeni soldiers and nine Houthis are killed.
• May 2014: Houthis and Sunni tribesmen clash near Sanaa, killing at least 40.
• March 13, 2014: Houthis attack an army base near Sanaa, killing two soldiers.
• March 6-9, 2014: Fighting erupts between Houthis and Sunni tribesmen, killing at least 40. Houthi fighters blow up a religious center in Hamdan on March 9.
• February 28, 2014: Houthis attack a security checkpoint after a protest against the government, killing three soldiers and wounding four.
• February 2, 2014: The Houthis, reportedly joined by tribes aligned with former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, and attack tribal forces in Amran province.
• January 20, 2014: Clashes between Houthis and pro-Salafist Sunnis in the north kill 12.
• October 2013–January 2014: Houthis launch an attack on Salafists in the town of Damaj, resulting in the death of over 100, at least 210 according to a Salafi spokesman.
• November–December 2011: Clashes erupt between Houthis and Salafists on the outskirts of Saada.
• June 1, 2011: Houthis kill five Sunni tribesmen in northern Yemen.
• Late March 2011: Houthis advance on Saada, causing the governor and other officials to flee the city. Houthi rebels install Faris Manna, believed to be the country’s most powerful arms dealer, as governor of the province.
• December 2010: Yemen says 3,000 soldiers were killed in recent fighting with Houthi rebels.
• July 17, 2010: Houthis kill 11 Yemeni soldiers and government-aligned tribesmen, sparking a heightened wave of violence.
• January–February 2010: More than 130 Saudi soldiers are killed by Houthis in fighting along the border between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
• November 3, 2009: Houthi rebels open fire on Saudi border guards, killing two and injuring at least 10.
• October 2009: Clashes erupt between the Houthis and Saudi security forces along Yemen’s northern border. The Houthis accuse Saudi Arabia of supporting the Yemeni government in attacks against them, which the Saudi government denies.
• June 2009: Houthis deny responsibility for the abduction of nine foreigners—three of whom are killed—in Saada region, a stronghold. Some media speculate the involvement of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) following the arrest of a supporter accused of financing the group.
• May 2, 2008: A bomb explodes outside a mosque in northern Yemen, killing at least 12 and wounding at least 44. Yemeni officials hold Houthi rebels accountable for the attack — the first attack by the group that deliberately targets civilians. Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi denies any connection to the bombing.
• April 2008: Men allegedly associated with the Houthi movement destroy a Jewish family’s home.
• January 2008: Fighting renews between the Houthis and Yemeni forces.
• January–March 2007: Fighting between Yemeni security forces and Houthi rebels in the north kill or wound dozens. Houthi rebels threaten Yemen’s Jewish population in Saada, forcing many to relocate to Sanaa.
• March–April 2005: Renewed fighting between Yemeni forces and Hussein al-Houthi supporters kills more than 200.
• 2004–2010: The Houthis wage a series of insurgencies against the government of Ali Abdullah Saleh.
• June–August 2004: Fighting breaks out in Yemen’s north between troops and Shiite insurgents led by Hussein al-Houthi. The clashes kill hundreds.
• 2003: Hussein al-Houthi opposes Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s cooperation with the United States in its war on terror and invasion of Iraq. He and his supporters later resist arrest by Yemeni forces, provoking conflict.