Shia insurgency in Yemen

Houthi insurgency in Yemen

Part of the Yemeni Crisis

A convoy of Houthi fighters (August 2009)

Date

18 June 2004 – 6 February 2015
(10 years, 7 months, 2 weeks and 5 days)

Location

Northern Yemen

Result

Houthi victory in North Yemen; Conflict escalates into a full-scale civil war with a Saudi-led foreign intervention

Houthi rebels take over Sa'dah and establish an independent administration in Sa'dah Governorate and parts of 'Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah.
Houthis take control of Sana'a
President Hadi ousted from power in Sana'a

Belligerents

Yemen

Security Forces
Sunni tribes
Al-Islah militias

Saudi Arabia
Supported by:
Jordan
Morocco

United States

Houthis (Ansar Allah)
Yemen (pro-Saleh forces)
Alleged Support by:

Iran

Ansar al-Sharia

al-Qaeda

Commanders and leaders

Abdrabbuh Hadi
(2012–2015)
Hameed Al-Qushaibi †
Ali Abdullah Saleh
(2004–2012)
Mohammed Basindawa
(2011–2014)
Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar
(2004–2014)
Ali Muhammad Mujawar
(2007–2011)
Abdul Qadir Bajamal
(2001–2007)
Ahmed Saleh
(2000–2012)
Yahya Saleh
(2001–2012)
Amr Ali al-Uuzali †
Ali al-Ameri †
Ahmed Bawazeir †
Khalid bin Sultan
(2011–2013)

Saleh Al-Muhaya
(2009–2011)

Abdul Malik al-Houthi
Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi †
Yahya al-Houthi
Muhammad al-Houthi
Abdul-Karim al-Houthi
Abdullah al-Ruzami #³
Abu Ali al-Hakem
Yusuf al-Madani †
Taha al-Madani
Abu Haider †
Abbas Aidah †
Mohammad Abd al-Salam
Ali al-Qantawi †
Fares Mana'a⁴

Ali Abdullah Saleh (alleged from 2014)
Ahmed Saleh (alleged forom 2014)

Yahya Saleh (alleged since 2014)

Harith bin Ghazi al-Nadhari †

Strength

Yemen:
30,000 soldiers in-theatre
66,700 total
27,000 tribal fighters
Saudi Arabia:
100,000 deployed

199,500 total

Houthis
2,000 (2004)
10,000 (2009)

100,000 (2011)

Casualties and losses

Yemen:
1,000–1,300 killed
6,000 wounded
(Yemeni claim)
2,600–3,000 killed
8,000 wounded
(Independent estimates)
495 captured
(all released)
Saudi Arabia:
133 KIA
470 WIA

6 MIA/POW

3,700–5,500 rebels and civilians killed (including 187 children)

3,000 arrested

Total casualties:
Hundreds to thousands killed (humanitarian organizations), 25,000 (Houthi sources)
2,000 Sa'dah residents handicapped
250,000 Yemenis displaced

1.General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar in charge of Yemeni operations against the Houthis until 2011 when he deserted.
2.Sheikh Badreddin al-Houthi died of natural causes in November 2010
3.Sheikh Abdullah al-Ruzami turned himself in to authorities in 2005, but was later released

4.Sheikh Farris Mana'a was a government ally until his arrest in 2010, after which he endorsed the Houthis and was appointed to head their administration.

Houthi victory in North Yemen; Conflict escalates into a full-scale civil war with a Saudi-led foreign intervention

Yemen

Saudi Arabia
Supported by:
Jordan
Morocco

Houthis (Ansar Allah)
Yemen (pro-Saleh forces)
Alleged Support by:

...
Wikipedia