Sana’a — Security units affiliated with the Houthi movement carried out a raid targeting one of the most prominent military figures from the era of late President Ali Abdullah Saleh, arresting Major General Mohammed Yahya Al-Hawri, current member of parliament and former commander of the Sixth Military Region.

According to press sources, a force belonging to the so-called “Houthi National Security” surrounded Al-Hawri’s residence in Hamdan district, on the outskirts of the capital, before detaining him and transferring him to an undisclosed location. 

Local sources described the move as part of delayed score-settling against military figures once closely aligned with Saleh. Al-Hawri had served for years as “Yawar” and personal guard to the former president.

Military experts noted that the targeting of Al-Hawri — who previously commanded Yemen’s paratroopers and military police — represents a blow to one of the most experienced academic and field cadres of the former Yemeni army.

 Analysts see the arrest as a Houthi attempt to dismantle remaining tribal and military influence of the General People’s Congress party in areas surrounding Sana’a, particularly within the strategically significant Hamdan tribe.

The incident underscores ongoing tensions between the Houthis and remnants of Saleh’s loyalists, highlighting the fragile balance of power in Yemen’s conflict-ridden capital.