An alleged video of the surrender of Houthi fighters sparks controversy on social media

(CNN) - A video clip spread on social media, amid allegations that it was linked to the surrender of Houthi fighters to Yemeni government forces on the outskirts of the city of Al-Hazm, the capital of Al-Jawf Governorate, northeast of the capital, Sanaa, in light of reports of fighting igniting on several fronts in the country.

The video shows people wearing military uniforms raising their hands in a mountainous area, in what appears to be surrender to gunmen on a combat vehicle. One of them says, “Hello, peace be upon you,” while instructing his colleagues not to shoot at them.

The publications claimed that "on the outskirts of Al-Hazm in Al-Jawf, footage of Houthi forces surrendering to the Yemeni army, which is close to controlling Al-Jawf Governorate."

By splitting the video into still shots and using a reverse search, we found a longer version of the video (1 minute and 39 seconds) in a Facebook post, dated June 4, 2025.

There is no clear context for the video, but its publisher, Ahmed Shatran, captioned it: “Give yourself up, you are under siege,” and added the hashtag “#Ma’rib” to his post.

The alleged video has returned to circulation in recent hours amid reports of escalating fighting between forces loyal to the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Houthi group, supported by Iran, in various areas of the country, especially in the governorates of Al-Jawf, Taiz, and Hodeidah.

The two sides have been engaged in an exchange of fire since last month, amid volatile conditions on the ground, in an indication of the collapse of the truce agreement sponsored by the United Nations in 2022.

The Yemeni army and the Houthis issued successive statements on Monday, announcing strikes and losses on both sides. Yemeni army spokesman, Colonel Majid Al-Nuzaili, said, "The armed forces are achieving progress and victories on the Al-Jawf and Al-Bayda fronts, as part of operations aimed at restoring state institutions and ending the Houthi coup."

On the other hand, a Houthi military source said, in a statement to the group's "Saba" news agency, that "concentrations of the Saudi enemy (were targeted) east of Al-Jawf Governorate, destroying its armor and vehicles and inflicting heavy losses on it."

The military spokesman for the Houthi forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, warned that "the ongoing Saudi aggression against Yemen will not remain without response and punishment, and the Saudi enemy must bear the consequences of its crimes against the Yemeni people."