Houthis restructure military command after death of top general

The Yemeni Houthi movement, Ansar Allah, has appointed a new chief of general staff following the death of Muhammad Abdul-Karim al-Gamari.

According to Bawabatii, the position has been given to Youssef Hassan Ismail al-Madani, who is regarded as one of the closest associates of the Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Husi.

Al-Madani is known to have undergone military training in Iran within the structures of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Upon returning to Yemen, he became one of the Houthis’ leading field commanders and served as a key coordinator between the group, Tehran, and Hezbollah. He took part in the 2014 coup in Yemen and in operations aimed at securing the release of Iranian nationals accused of espionage.

In 2017, Saudi Arabia placed al-Madani on its wanted list, offering a $20 million reward for information leading to his capture. Four years later, in 2021, he was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department as a figure posing a threat to the security of the United States and its allies.

The Houthis confirmed that their former chief of general staff, Major General Muhammad Abdul-Karim al-Gamari, was killed “in the line of duty,” Al Jazeera reported. While the group did not specify the circumstances of his death or directly accuse Israel, it declared that the conflict “is not over” and warned that Israel “will receive due punishment for its crimes.”

Al-Gamari was known for coordinating major military campaigns, including missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel. He also led key offensive operations in Yemen’s Marib province between 2021 and 2022.

Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, is both a religious and political movement in Yemen. It controls the capital Sana’a as well as much of the country’s western and northern territories—home to over 20 million people, or roughly 70% of Yemen’s population. The movement takes its name from a large and influential clan from the Marran Mountains in Saada province, whose leaders spearheaded the struggle for regional autonomy and seized power over much of the country during 2014–2015.

The appointment of al-Madani comes shortly after an Israeli airstrike in Yemen killed Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi, head of the Houthi government. The strike occurred during a meeting of officials gathered to hear a speech by the Ansar Allah leader, killing several participants, including the prime minister.

By Tamilla Hasanova