The latest movements of the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen revealed a state of unprecedented disarray in their ranks as they have sent major reinforcements to several fronts in anticipation of a possible government attack. It appears that the Houthis do not have a clear idea of when or where the potential attack may take place, revealing the state of disarray they are enduring. They have also increased their forced recruitment of minors and strengthened their fortifications in several regions under their control. In the past, the Houthis had often correctly anticipated where attacks against them would come from, but today, their deployment of their militants on several fronts demonstrates their state of disarray as the legitimate government forces tightened their ranks and took serious steps towards ending the political divisions and unifying military decision-making. The Houthis have increased their recruitment of members, taking advantage of the poor economy and lack of job opportunities for adolescents and youths. They have claimed that recruitment was necessary to confront the “foreign enemy.” Footage of prisoners released by government forces revealed that the recruits were forced to join Houthi ranks. One prisoner, 14, said he was seized from a market in the Ibb province where he was working and sent to the Dhale front. Another was seized from a market and sent to al-Jawf front and a third said he was taken out of school and informed that he was going to fight the Israelis. Yemeni military sources said that amid the disarray, the Houthis have coordinated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to bolster their rocket and drone launch sites from the heights overlooking Hodeidah and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, all the way to the Gulf of Aden. They also transformed Kamaran island off Hodeidah’s Salif into a base for launching drones, rockets and booby-trapped vessels. The Houthis have also attempted to impose control over Zuqar island, which boasts the highest terrain overlooking the southern Red Sea, but government forces thwarted their advance. The Houthis tried to carry out an attack near Bab el-Mandeb, using drones and heavy firepower, but the government forces also thwarted them, revealed the sources.
