Israeli airstrike hits Houthi leaders’ secret meeting place in Yemeni capital: Source

Sanaa: An Israeli airstrike hit a house in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, where a “secret meeting of senior Houthi leaders” was allegedly taking place, according to a source close to the Houthi group.

The house, located in southern Sanaa, was cordoned off by heavy Houthi security forces as ambulances rushed to the scene, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday evening.

Local anti-Houthi media reported on social media that the meeting was chaired by Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Supreme Political Council, and Abdulkarim al-Gumari, the Houthi military chief of staff.

Other media sources reported that the secret meeting was also attended by top Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi; the head of the Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi; and the Houthi military intelligence chief, Abu Ali al-Hakim.

The Houthis have yet to issue an official statement.

A Yemeni security official has told Ynet that al-Gumari is also the head of the Houthis’ missile program.

Saudi-based Al Hadath reported that the strike targeted a residential complex housing Houthi leaders near the Lebanese Hospital, just south of al-Sabeen Square in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. The area is known for hosting large weekly demonstrations against Israel.

Residents living near the targeted house told Xinhua they saw at least 10 charred bodies at the scene.

The Houthi group, who controls much of northern Yemen, has been targeting Israel since November 2023 in a show of solidarity with the Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The group has strongly condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks on Iran, vowing in a statement that it would intensify long-range missile attacks against Israel.

The Houthis, who control much of western Yemen and receive backing from Iran, have launched dozens of missiles toward Israel in recent months, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. In early May, one of their missiles evaded interception and struck near Ben Gurion International Airport, significantly disrupting air traffic.

The Houthis are part of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” against Israeli and U.S. interests in the Middle East, which also includes Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

While Israel has weakened those groups by assassinating top leaders and destroying military infrastructure since the Gaza war began, the Houthis are still a force to be reckoned with.

–IANS