The disputes within the wings of the Houthi group went beyond exchanging accusations of corruption and seizing funds and military supplies, to dismissals, arrests and armed confrontations, amid the escalation of the conflict over resources and centers of influence, according to informed sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat.
These developments coincided during the last two weeks with the group's continued military escalation in Taiz, Ma'rib, Al-Jawf, and the western coast, and increasing pressure on its financial and logistical resources, at a time when accusations are mounting against leaders and supervisors of diverting supplies allocated to fighters into private trade and personal investments.
According to the sources, the disputes are concentrated between leaders affiliated with the Saada wing that is close to the group’s leader, and other wings based in Sana’a, Amran, and Dhamar, in a conflict that goes beyond the management of supplies to competition over revenues from taxes, oil derivatives, foodstuffs, agricultural crops, and livestock that the group seizes from residents, merchants, and farmers, under the pretext of financing the war effort.
Informed sources in Sanaa reported that, in the middle of last week, leaders affiliated with the Saada wing issued orders to relieve a number of members and field supervisors responsible for managing supplies and distributing them to fighters, in conjunction with instructions to the security services to arrest others against the backdrop of accusations of tampering with military allocations and harnessing them for personal interests.
The source explained that the accusations relate, in particular, to transferring quantities of diesel and gasoline allocated for military vehicles to private trade, and selling them on the black market to make profits for the benefit of leaders and supervisors, with the support of Houthi parties in Sanaa, Amran, and Dhamar.
The repercussions of the measures did not stop at dismissals and arrests. It spread to armed confrontations in the city of Ibb, central Yemen. Clashes broke out between Houthi supervisors and their escorts from Amran Governorate, and security leaders affiliated with the group, after the supervisors refused to respond to arrest orders, according to information provided by the sources.
According to the sources, the exemption and arrest orders came after Houthi leaders received field reports that spoke of a logistical crisis and repeated failures in delivering reinforcements and supplies to fighters on a number of fronts. This led - according to the information - to mounting suspicions about the presence of deliberate negligence and the monopolization of resources allocated to military operations by some leaders.
Resources under conflict
These developments - according to the sources - reveal a gap between the mobilization campaigns carried out by the group to mobilize more fighters, and the accusations directed at some of its leaders of seizing the resources it collects from residents, merchants, and farmers under the pretext of financing the war.
These resources include oil derivatives, foodstuffs, agricultural crops, and livestock, at a time when influential people within the group are competing over sources of income and areas of economic control in areas under its authority.
The divisions coincide with increasing financial pressures facing the group, amid reports of the decline of some financing channels, tightening restrictions on the movement of funds, in addition to air strikes that targeted weapons depots, the interception of maritime smuggling shipments, and international restrictions imposed on foreign financial transfers.
Observers believe that the shrinkage of available resources exacerbates the competition between the Houthi centers of influence over revenues from taxes, taxes, and confiscated property, and increases the possibility of administrative and financial disputes turning into clashes between leaders and supervisors who share influence and resources.
The disagreements extended - according to the sources - to questioning the integrity of leaders and supervisors, and accusing them of exploiting their positions for personal gain at the expense of the fighters’ needs. The sources also spoke of the defection of a number of leaders and officials due to internal conflicts, without independent details being available regarding their numbers or locations.
In a scene that reflects the depth of popular relations between Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, social media platforms in Egypt witnessed during the past days a wave of messages and comments against the backdrop of the recent Houthi attacks on Saudi airports, during which Egyptians expressed their full solidarity with the Kingdom and their support for its leadership, people, army and government, stressing the strength of the historical ties that unite the two countries.
This interaction was in line with the declared official Egyptian position towards the Kingdom, as users published thousands of blog posts and pictures bringing together the leaders of the two countries, through several “hashtags” supportive of the Kingdom on various platforms, which received wide interaction, the most prominent of which were: “#We_are_with_Saudi Arabia”, “#Egypt_and_Saudi_one_hand”, #You_will_only_see_us_together”, “#Egypt_Saudi_Siblings”.
The bulk of Egyptian comments focused on expressing support and solidarity with the Kingdom in the attacks it faces that targeted its infrastructure and its citizens, while condemning the Houthi practices and classifying them as terrorist acts and crimes that violate humanitarian and religious norms, while declaring full support for the Kingdom in its measures to defend itself.
Other comments also highlighted the Kingdom’s emotional standing among the Egyptian people, using sincere language that reflects the feeling of shared pain and psychological support in times of crisis, stressing that what brings the two countries together is “a relationship of blood and one destiny, not a temporary alliance.”
A wide sector of platform leaders confirmed that bilateral relations are based on historical and geographical depth that is not affected by attempts at digital alienation between the two countries, stressing that it is “a relationship stronger than the influence of electronic flies.”
Tweeters also recalled historical mutual positions between the two countries in times of crises and challenges, stressing that mutual solidarity remains one of the most prominent features of this relationship, recalling long periods of cooperation and coordination between Cairo and Riyadh.
Others emphasized that the stability of the Kingdom is a responsibility that concerns every Arab and Muslim, as it is the land of the Two Holy Mosques, pointing out that Saudi Arabia is a second homeland for Egyptians, and the two peoples are united by social, humanitarian and cultural ties rooted over decades.
While the most prominent Egyptian messages of love and support for Saudi Arabia came with the Saudi Embassy in Cairo publishing a statement to its citizens regarding assistance to those affected by the cancellation of flights due to the disruption of air traffic in Saudi Arabia, as the embassy called on Saudi citizens whose flights were affected or who were unable to reach their destinations due to cancellation or delay, to contact it to request assistance, which sparked widespread reactions from the Egyptians.
The interactions showed the Egyptian street’s refusal to deal with the Saudi citizen as a “stranger,” while issuing calls to welcome those on Egyptian soil, pointing out that “our homes are open... and home is your home.”
Tweeters on social media pointed out that the Kingdom has a deep-rooted love in the hearts of Egyptians, stressing that “the Saudi is in Egypt among his family.”
Journalist and parliamentarian Mustafa Bakri noted, in a tweet on “X”, that the ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Cairo, Saleh bin Eid Al-Husseini, received numerous calls and telegrams from Egyptians declaring solidarity with their brothers in the Kingdom in the face of the Houthi aggression against civilians, following the publication of the embassy’s statement.
On the other hand, Saudi bloggers responded to these Egyptian calls and comments, pointing out that they had no doubt about the Egyptians’ love for Saudi Arabia and its people, while others affirmed the love and brotherhood between the two peoples.
Prince Abdul Rahman bin Musaed also reacted to the Egyptians’ comments on the embassy’s statement, commenting through his official account on the “X” platform: “The Egyptians’ responses to what was published by the Saudi embassy in Cairo are heartwarming. I bear witness to your love, O Egypt, and the love of your family.”
The Yemeni military operation “Yemen Dawn” entered its eighth day, Monday, with the expansion of confrontations on the fronts of Taiz Governorate, and the intensification of air strikes on Houthi positions and military movements, in conjunction with back-and-forth battles in the southern and western countryside of the city, as government forces seek to regain positions they lost during the past hours, and prevent the Iranian-backed group from expanding its infiltrations.
In parallel with the fighting in Taiz (southwest), government forces continue their qualitative operations on the Ma’rib and Al-Jawf fronts, amid the army’s announcement that it has carried out thousands of air, artillery and drone attacks since the start of the offensive movements, killing and wounding large numbers of Houthis, according to Yemeni military data.
On the western coast, government forces are seeking to consolidate their gains in Dhubab and the vicinity of Bab al-Mandab, with confrontations continuing around sites and fortifications where the group is still holed up, taking advantage of mines and the terrain.
The Yemeni Armed Forces announced the implementation of 1,732 precise and direct targeting operations against Houthi military sites, using military aircraft, drones, artillery, and launchers, in conjunction with the advance of combat units on the axes of the operation, within 24 hours.
The official spokesman for the Armed Forces, Colonel Majid Al-Nuzaili, said that the operations included fortifications, command and control centers, observation and reconnaissance points, artillery positions, mustering and reinforcement areas, in addition to weapons and ammunition stores, vehicles, supply means, and military targets in depth.
Al-Nazili added that the targeting resulted in the neutralization of more than 900 Houthi elements, and the destruction or damage of more than 287 military vehicles, equipment, and means, in addition to silencing sources of fire, confusing the command and control system, and disrupting the movement of reinforcements and supplies. He confirmed the continued penetration of the group's defensive positions and the expansion of the scope of progress according to the operational plan.
This announced toll comes at a time when confrontations are spread across multiple fronts, from the Taiz countryside to the south and west of Ma’rib, while the most sensitive battles are concentrated on the lines approaching the city and the roads linking the center of the governorate to its rural districts.
Battles of attrition in Taiz
During the past hours, Taiz witnessed air strikes and violent confrontations along the fighting axes, including the west, north, and east of the city, in addition to Al-Misrakh, Al-Aqrodh, and Al-Dhabab. The Taiz axis announced the implementation of air strikes targeting Houthi sites, vehicles, and reinforcements in the areas of Milat, Al-Mazari, and the outskirts of Al-Sayyahi to the west, 60th Street to the north, and Sofitel Hills and Al-Salal to the east.
Military reports also reported that warplanes targeted the group’s gatherings and sites in Al-Hawban, Tabba Softail, Al-Maqrami, and Al-Jasha, as well as other sites north and west of the city. Military sources said that the strikes caused human casualties and destroyed a number of vehicles.
In the southern countryside of Taiz, confrontations intensified in Al-Misrakh District, especially in the areas of Taluk and Saila Taluk, following Houthi infiltration attempts from the direction of Najd Qasim. Field sources reported that government and resistance forces carried out ambushes against the attackers, causing deaths and injuries among their ranks and forcing some of them to withdraw.
These clashes coincided with battles in the Al-Aqroud area, where government forces announced the recovery of sites that the group had controlled during the previous hours, in addition to the recovery of the hills of Mahyoub Thabet and Thabe, and Al-Furqan School in the village of Al-Dhanib, according to military information received from the front.
These areas gain field importance due to their connection to the road network linking the city of Taiz to its southern countryside, while the Houthi advance in the Najd Qassim region increases the sensitivity of the battle, given its location on a main road that serves a number of the governorate’s directorates.
On the Fog Front, field information reported that government forces consolidated their positions in Mount Han, with clashes continuing on the outskirts of the region and carrying out ambushes against Houthi groups.
These developments reveal the expansion of the confrontations in the vicinity of Taiz, where air strikes overlap with direct clashes and ambushes, at a time when government forces are trying to contain the intrusions and restore sites that witnessed a change in the lines of contact.
The coast, Marib and Al-Jawf
Along the western coast, the forces of the Giants and Homeland Shield Brigades continue to consolidate their positions in Dhubab and the vicinity of Bab al-Mandab, amid confrontations with Houthi groups still holed up in pockets and small sites behind mines and the hills overlooking the strait, according to field information received from the region.
In recent days, government forces have announced gains in the coastal axes, in parallel with securing high positions in Kahboub and expanding pressure on Houthi gatherings. However, the continuation of clashes in some pockets forces the forces to continue combing operations and stabilize positions, in light of the dangers of mines and fortifications that hinder movement.
In Ma'rib Governorate, government forces targeted Houthi positions and vehicles on the southern and southwestern fronts, using artillery and drones, while military aircraft launched raids on barracks and warehouses belonging to the group.
Yemeni military media reported from sources in the operations of the Third Military Region that the strikes led to the destruction and damage of combat vehicles, and the targeting of a Houthi artillery position, which resulted in the destruction of the cannon and the killing of its crew. The sources also reported deaths and injuries among the group's ranks, while government forces announced the killing of three of its members and the injury of others during the confrontations.
In Al-Jawf, air and artillery operations and drone attacks continued on Houthi sites, fortifications, command centers and weapons stores, according to government military data.
