Houthi Forces Besiege Bani Shran Area Amid Drone Activity

Houthi militia forces have imposed a tight siege on the Bani Shran area in Arhab, north of Sanaa, accompanied by raids on citizens' homes and the use of drone surveillance.

Local sources in Sanaa province reported on Monday that the military campaign, led by several Houthi field supervisors including Mohammed Mujahid bin Haider Al-Sufyani, Abu Abdullah Al-Jaish Al-Sufyani, and Abu Hammoud Al-Hamzi, surrounded the area from multiple directions. Civilians were reportedly abducted, with intense drone activity overhead to secure the militants' advance.

According to local residents, the campaign included punitive measures and violations against the inhabitants and their farms. Militants blocked roads leading to agricultural lands and prevented irrigation water from reaching "qhat" farms, which are the primary source of income for the residents. The forces also reportedly looted solar power systems and generators, confiscated several vehicles, expelled farmers and local partners, and vandalized their property.

Tribal sources accused the Houthi leaders overseeing the campaign of bias and complete favoritism towards tribal factions from the Sufyan district in Amran province. These sources allege that the militia's military capabilities are being used to settle scores and resolve disputes between the two sides.

These escalating developments follow accusations by Sufyan tribes against the residents of Wadi Shran. The latter are accused of involvement in the killing of two individuals: one intentionally from the Jabal area in Sufyan, and another mistakenly from the Mahwit province, by gunmen from Arhab. This tribal retaliation reportedly occurred in response to the killing of a member of the Al-Sharan family approximately two years prior, whose body was subsequently held by the Houthi militia, amid a lack of judicial and tribal solutions to halt the bloodshed between the two regions.