Sanaa, Nov 9 (IANS) — Yemen’s Houthi group announced the arrest of several Yemeni nationals accused of spying for Israel in the capital, Sanaa. The group alleged that the detainees had been collaborating with the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad through a Saudi-based joint operation involving Israeli, US, and Saudi intelligence services, Xinhua reported.
According to the Houthis, the suspects were trained to prepare intelligence reports, monitor military and civilian locations, and track the movements of senior Houthi officials. The group did not disclose the number of individuals arrested or present evidence supporting the claims. However, it stated that the “confessions” of the accused would be aired later on its official TV channel, Al-Masirah.
Sources close to the group said many of those detained were employees of United Nations agencies, including the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF. The arrests come just weeks after the UN secured the release of 20 detained aid workers through Iranian and Omani mediation.
The crackdown follows Israeli airstrikes in August that killed several senior Houthi officials. In response, the Houthis have intensified security measures in Sanaa, vowing to defend against what they call growing Israeli threats.
