How Houthis militarized Ibb province in Yemen into their armed camp - analysis

The Houthis are one of the Iranian-backed groups in the region that remain strong. While Hezbollah and Hamas have suffered blows, the Assad regime has fallen, and militias in Iraq are under pressure, the Houthis remain steadfast in Yemen. They have achieved this because they are secure in the mountains of northern Yemen.

Now, Al-Ain media in the UAE has provided an exclusive look at how the Houthis turned one governorate called Ibb into an armed camp.

This area was known as Yemen’s “green paradise” in the past. It is an agricultural area with around 4 million people living in mountainous highlands. It is located north of Taiz and south of the capital of Sana’a, making it an important area.

Al-Ain has excellent sources in Yemen, and this article reflects the importance of Al-Ain’s reporting on the country. The Houthis matter because they can threaten Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, and Israel, as well as the Red Sea.

“Since seizing control of it 11 years ago, the Houthis have transformed Yemen’s Ibb province from a tourist capital of the country known as the ‘Green Paradise’ into a fortified military barracks,” Al-Ain notes.

The report notes that the province serves as a kind of fulcrum of balance point in Yemen, 190km. from Sana’a and 230km. from Aden. “It is considered the largest Houthi military reconnaissance center towards the Red and Arabian Seas and towards southern Yemen and Tihama.”

The report goes on to say that “the Houthi militias built an advanced defensive wall (in the form of an arc) on the borders of Ibb, starting from Al-Radhma district on the borders of Al-Bayda, Al-Dhali’ and Dhamar governorates, passing through Sabrah, Sayani and Mudhaykhirah, and up to the Al-Udayn areas on the borders of Taiz, Hodeidah and Dhamar governorates.”

Houthis build over 14 military sites in area

The Houthis exploited these highlights to build defenses and fortifications to support the neighboring fronts in the governorates of Al-Dhali’ and Al-Bayda’.

“According to security and military sources in Al-Radhma, speaking to Al-Ain News, the Houthi militias have built more than 14 fixed and mobile sites in the district, most notably Al-Hadi Fort, Jabal Habwa, and “Al-Daam and Azal Forts,” the report says.

The report goes on to say that the Houthis have a reserve force in the region which includes the “18th Samad Reserve Brigade” and “Rapid Intervention Units,” a force equipped with vehicles, medium missile launchers, and drone launch platforms.

“In the districts of Al-Nadirah, Ba’dan, and Al-Sabrah (east of Ibb), the Houthi militias have built defensive positions, taking advantage of the main roads that connect the governorate with neighboring governorates to facilitate the movement of military forces and to secure supply lines and reinforcements when necessary.”

There are dozens of fixed fortifications which included machine guns, rockets, and other weapons and vehicles. “In the northwestern part of the governorate, where the three districts of Al-Udayn are located, especially the Al-Udayn branch, the Houthi militias are concentrated in about 10 main locations and overlap with the Shar’ab and Maqbanah districts of Taiz Governorate,” the report adds.

There are some 40 “strategic military sites for the Houthis throughout the Ibb Governorate, which has become a military base for providing logistical support and a center for launching operations on neighboring fronts.”

Report reveals Houthi leadership names

The Al-Ain report also reveals that local leadership includes a man named Abdul Wahid Salah, and the head of the supervisory office Yahya Nasser Al-Yousifi and Amin Ali Hassan Wajih Al-Din.

This would be important if the Yemen government and its backers ever launched an offensive here.

Al-Ain also noted that “on the security front, other leaders in the province are present, most notably the commander of the rescue units, Ibrahim Muhammad Al-Hayas, and the commander of the military police units, Abdul Salam Habib, who are stationed at checkpoints on the main roads of the province and the districts.”

The overall point of this report is to illustrate how the Houthis turned an agricultural region into a major military strongpoint. The Houthis have prepared for the future and expect to lead part of Yemen for the long term. Yemen was divided for many years between North and South Yemen during the post-colonial period and the Cold War.

Now it is divided between the Houthi-controlled area and the Yemen government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and the UAE almost clashed in December over the UAE’s support for an Aden-based Southern Transitional Council in Yemen.

Today, it is not clear if the Saudis, UAE, and others will be able to confront the Houthis in the future. Most countries are now wary of war. Also, Riyadh appears concerned about Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, which could change the balance of power in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa region.