Daijiworld Media Network- Sanaa

Sanaa, Jun 15: In a significant development amid escalating regional tensions, an Israeli airstrike struck a residential building in southern Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, where a secret high-level meeting of senior Houthi leaders was allegedly underway, sources close to the rebel group reported on Saturday.

The targeted house was swiftly sealed off by Houthi security forces as ambulances and emergency crews rushed to the site. Eyewitnesses near the scene told international media that at least 10 charred bodies were seen being pulled from the debris. The area, located near the Lebanese Hospital just south of al-Sabeen Square, is known for hosting frequent anti-Israel demonstrations.

According to regional media reports, the meeting was reportedly chaired by Mahdi al-Mashat, the head of the Houthi-run Supreme Political Council, and Abdulkarim al-Gumari, the group’s military chief of staff and head of its missile program. Other prominent figures believed to have been present include Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, and Abu Ali al-Hakim, chief of Houthi military intelligence.

While the Houthi leadership has not yet issued an official statement, security sources cited by Saudi-based Al Hadath confirmed that the strike aimed at a residential complex housing top Houthi commanders, signalling a serious blow to the group’s strategic core.

The Houthi movement, which controls large parts of northern and western Yemen and receives backing from Iran, has been launching long-range missile attacks at Israel since November 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. In early May, one such missile narrowly evaded Israeli defense systems and struck close to Ben Gurion International Airport, causing significant disruption.

The Houthis are a key member of Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance”, alongside groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, all of whom have faced intensified Israeli counterstrikes and assassinations of top operatives since the outbreak of the Gaza war.
As tensions flare across the region, Saturday’s strike is being viewed as a direct signal from Israel to dismantle strategic threats beyond its immediate borders, amid growing fears of a widening Middle East conflict.