Inside Houthis’ war machine: How it is organized, what it means for Middle East- explainer
Units have been indoctrinated with extremist ideology, including the notion that anyone who opposes the Houthis is an ‘agent of Israel’, a new report notes.
The Iranian-backed Houthis have threatened to expand their attacks on Israel. This follows a ballistic-missile attack on Tuesday.
It also follows an Israeli naval strike on Yemen’s Port of Hudaydah earlier on Tuesday.
The Houthis have terrorized Israel since the October 7 massacre. They have also terrorized shipping and threatened the region.
In Yemen, the Houthis control a state within a state, with large armed forces that control part of the country.
On Wednesday, UAE-based Al Ain news site published a long inside look into how the Houthis’ armed forces are organized. It is worth examining the report in full to understand more about the Houthis and their military power.
The article is titled “Arms of Death,” and it examines the Houthis’ “parallel military structure.”
The Houthis were once a rebel group in Yemen. Over time, however, they did what many Iranian proxies do: They took over large parts of the state and hollowed out Yemen. They then filled Yemen with arms, military parades, and weapons.
Former militia leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi has “selected young, tactical leaders and first-line field commanders from among his trusted comrades to lead his private army, which has recently begun to emerge as combat brigades, independent of the divisions and structures [of the rest of the Houthi armed forces],” it said.
The report focuses on the key combat units. It is translated from Arabic, so it is possible that some of these units may have names that do not perfectly translate.
The most prominent combat units form the backbone of the Houthi militia structure. They are deployed on dozens of fronts and are coordinated by a joint operations room run by Maj.-Gen. Sadiq Al-Muqrani, the report said.
The Al Fatah Brigades
This unit includes militants who are ideologues. It was led by Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Abdullah Thuail, “who was trained in Lebanon and Iran by military experts and was killed in 2022 while leading a major offensive to retake the border town of Harad district in Hajjah governorate [northwest Yemen].”After he was killed, Hussein al-Qahoum was appointed to take his place and given the rank of brigadier-general, the report said. The unit has several brigades, one led by Brig.-Gen. al-Qassem al-Marani, who commands the Third Brigade. Col. Zaid al-Murtada and Col. Kamil Hadi are two other key officers, it said. These units are mobile and move from front to front, primarily on the border, such as near Marib city, east of Sana’a.
The Border Guard Brigades
“These units are led by Houthi leader Bandar Muawad Al-Omari, who holds the rank of brigadier-general and is the military commander of the militia’s Border Guard Brigades,” the report said. They serve in various districts in Saada, Hajjah, and Al-Jawf. Jawf borders Saudi Arabia.They man various trenches and mountain passes and strategic points and look out for smuggling, it said. Houthi media outlets also describe units of “Jizan Brigades,” which are believed to be similar to the Border Guards.
They are controlled by Maj.-Gen. Ahmed Yahya Jasar. He formerly ran an armored brigade. His assistant is Col. Ali Abdullah Issa, who manages forces deployed on the Haradh-Hajjah front and some fronts in Saada in northwest Yemen.
Al-Samad Brigades
These units, which the report describes as one of the largest combat groups, consist of “tribesmen” and people from the “central regions.” They are deployed in “Al-Dhale’, Lahj, and Taiz.” Taiz is in southwest Yemen.Some of the key leaders of these units include Brig.-Gen. Salim al-Qahif, commander of the 1st Samad Brigade, whose theater of operations is the Al-Fakher front in Qa’taba in Al-Dhale’; and Lt.-Gen. Amin al-Bahr, commander of the 2nd Samad Brigade.
There is also a 9th and 10th Samad Brigade on the Lahij, Karsh, and Qabaita fronts, and “the eastern Taiz fronts, Mawiah and Ad-Damna.” There are other brigades on other fronts, including the 11th, 12th, 14th, and 17th.
Victory Brigades
The report describes these as serving in parallel to the “northern regional forces.” They are led by Maj.-Gen. Aqil al-Shami, who “is one of the most dangerous extremist ideological leaders after Yusuf al-Madani.” These units are on the northern Hajjah front.“Information obtained by Al-Ain Al-Akhbariya reveals that the militias have established five naval and coastal defense brigades under Al-Shami’s command since the beginning of 2023,” the report said.
“These brigades have attracted a large number of children and young people, children of workers in the traditional fishing sector and those who have previously worked in fishing and maritime tasks, whether in transportation or smuggling, according to the information.”
Decisive Brigades
“Al-Hasm Brigades, led by Brig.-Gen. Abu Yusef Hamdan, consisting of infantry, mechanized, sniper, artillery, and anti-armor and anti-drone units,” the report said.They are deployed in Marib, east of Sanaa, “and have a headquarters in Dhamar Governorate, where they have recruited young men and children from the governorate to fight in their ranks.”
Support and Reinforcement Brigades
The Houthi Support and Reinforcement Brigades resemble the Iranian Basij forces in their missions and organization, the report said.“They are a parallel reserve mobilization force led by Qasim al-Hamran, nicknamed Abu al-Kawthar, who assumes the rank of major-general,” it said. “Al-Hamran is known for his absolute loyalty to the militia leader and is one of the hardline commanders most closely affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Since 2020, he has been establishing support and backup brigades.”
One of these battalions is in Hodaydah, the port area. It has 9,000 men.
Al-Hadi Brigades
Despite its secrecy, “Al-Ain News revealed the existence of this force in early 2023,” the report said. “It comprised 1,500 members, all of whom were children under the age of 15 and had been indoctrinated with extremist ideology, including the notion that anyone who opposes the Houthis is an ‘agent of Israel.’” This group has been trained in the use of artillery and also special forces operations.“The Houthi militias deployed recruits from these brigades, whose commanders have not yet been named, to the fronts in Marib, Dhale, Taiz, and the West Coast to participate in military operations as a practical demonstration of their training,” it said.
Presidential Protection Brigades
The central command of the Presidential Protection Brigades is headed by Brig.-Gen. Abdullah Yahya al-Hasani, the report said.“Brig.-Gen. Abdul Rahman al-Houthi serves as director of the Military Intelligence Department within these brigades, which are part of the Central Region in Sana’a,” it said. The unit contains the 314th Mechanized Brigade and other units deployed in Sana’a, and also in Marib and other fronts in the south.
West Coast Hama Brigades
The Houthi West Coast Brigades emerged in 2018 at the height of the Saudi-led coalition battle to liberate Hodaydah, the report said. It is under the command of Houthi leader Brig.-Gen. Abdullah al-Wazir.“These brigades include the 6th, 7th, and 8th brigades, all based in Ad-Durayhimi. Other battalions operate under the name ‘Protectors of the West Coast,’ led by Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Ayedha Ali Jaber Shuwayan, who hails from Saada and belongs to a hardline and extremist family.”
Reserve brigades
The reserve brigades are under the command of the brother of militia leader Abdulkhaleq al-Houthi. One of the units is nicknamed the “Jerusalem” brigade. They are based in Sanaa, the capital.Al-Badr Brigades
The Badr Brigades are based in the western coastal areas of Hajjah Governorate, serving as a reserve force led by Aqil Mohammed Abbas al-Muayyad, the report said.“Al-Moayyad has recently been assuming the rank of brigadier-general,” it said. “His name first surfaced in 2016, when the militias gave him a military number and the rank of ‘lieutenant-colonel.’ He was among dozens of militia members placed within the Ministry of Defense despite not having served in the military, according to media sources.”
