Al-Bayda -- A senior Houthi military commander was killed during intense clashes in Al-Bayda Governorate, central Yemen, triggering a state of high alert and widespread mobilization among Houthi forces in the region.

Local sources confirmed that Ammar Hussein Ahmed Ismail Al-Bahri, known by his nom de guerre Abu Zaid, was fatally wounded in confrontations with tribal fighters in the Hankat Al-Masoud area of Qifa Rad’a district. Al-Bahri was reportedly leading a Houthi campaign affiliated with the militia’s special forces under the command of Abdulkhaliq Al-Houthi.

The clashes erupted after Houthi forces stormed parts of the village, deploying snipers on mosque minarets and reinforcing their positions with heavy weaponry. The death of Al-Bahri, along with the serious injury of another commander, Mohammed M., prompted the Houthis to launch a rapid security sweep and deploy additional units across Al-Bayda, fearing further resistance and retaliatory attacks.

Residents reported heightened tensions and increased checkpoints, with the militia conducting house-to-house searches and detaining several locals suspected of aiding anti-Houthi fighters. The incident underscores the fragile security situation in Al-Bayda, a strategic province that has witnessed repeated cycles of violence between Houthi forces and tribal resistance groups.

The Houthi leadership has yet to issue an official statement on the commander’s death, but internal sources suggest that the loss has dealt a blow to the militia’s operational command in the central region. Analysts warn that the escalation could lead to renewed military campaigns and further destabilize humanitarian conditions in the area.