Media: Houthis begin arresting suspects over spying for US

The Yemeni movement Ansar Allah (Houthis), supported by Tehran, has launched a campaign of arrests in Sana'a following U.S. airstrikes on the homes of Houthi leaders.

The deputy head of the Houthi intelligence service was arrested on charges of leaking coordinates, Caliber.Az reports, citing Al Arabiya.

Earlier, local residents of Sana'a reported that the Houthis carried out raids on dozens of homes in areas where their positions were targeted by bombings and arrested several suspects accused of cooperating with foreign powers.

This is the same pretext under which, since the middle of last year, the Houthis have abducted dozens of staff members from UN agencies, humanitarian organizations, and missions, refusing to release them.

Since the middle of March, ​the United States has intensified military operations against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, targeting leadership residences and command facilities. These actions are part of a broader strategy to degrade the Houthis' operational capabilities and deter their attacks on international shipping and regional partners.​

On March 15, the U.S. conducted extensive airstrikes across Yemen, focusing on the capital, Sanaa, and Saada Governorate. These strikes targeted various Houthi positions, including residential areas believed to house Houthi leaders. According to reports, at least 53 individuals were killed, including five children and two women, with 98 others wounded. The Houthi-run health ministry labeled these attacks as "war crimes" and vowed retaliation. ​

In early April, President Donald Trump shared drone footage of a U.S. airstrike that reportedly killed dozens of Houthi militants. The video depicted a gathering of approximately 70 individuals before a significant explosion. President Trump stated that the group was planning attacks on commercial shipping and emphasized the U.S. commitment to diminishing Houthi capabilities. ​

The U.S. has justified these strikes as necessary responses to the Houthis' increased aggression, particularly their attacks on U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that facilities targeted were hubs for coordinating such operations.

By Khagan Isayev