Who are Yemen's Houthis?
DUBAI — Within a matter of days, Yemen's Houthis have swept south and seized the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, cementing their rise as a force to be reckoned with in the constellation of Iran-backed armed groups across the Middle East. Once considered a relatively isolated religious and military movement, the Houthis now hold all of Yemen's Red Sea coast, as well as significant territory in the…
The Houthis are an armed group in Yemen, belonging to the Zaidi community, a Shia offshoot with a minority presence in the mostly Sunni nation. Their rise began in the 1990s as a reaction to perceived sectarian discrimination against the Zaidis, concentrated in the impoverished northern region. The group, officially named Ansar Allah (Supporters of God), takes its name from its late spiritual leader, Badreddin al-Houthi, and his son, Hussein, who was killed by government forces in 2004.
Following Hussein's death, Abdulmalik, the other son, took leadership, transforming the previously isolated faction in the northwest into a formidable force. Their ambitions were recently showcased when they swiftly seized control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategically vital Red Sea passage, expanding their influence across Yemen's Red Sea coast and northern territories, including the capital Sanaa.
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- Who are Yemen's Houthis? koreatimes.co.kr
