Yemen’s internationally-recognized government submitted an intelligence report to the UN Security Council revealing that Iran-backed Houthi militia are working closely with both al-Qaeda and ISIS to inflict terrorism on the Yemeni people.
The 27-page report, which Asharq Al-Awsat obtained a copy of, cites several instances Houthis were involved with terrorist organizations. In one of the documented cases, Houthis set free 252 convicted terrorists who were jailed in the national and political security prisons of Sanaa and other governorates.
Some of those released are masterminds behind bombings and attacks that targeted US and foreign interests.
“This report, which is based on confirmed intelligence information and facts, sheds light on the close relationship between the Houthi militia and both al-Qaeda and ISIS, which is an extension of the relationship between Iran and terrorist organizations,” the government said in the report.
More so, the report shows how Houthis are using their relationship with terrorist organizations to inflict more terrorism on the Yemeni people.
The Houthis “manipulated and misused [the information] to build close relationships with both al-Qaeda and ISIS.”
The Yemeni government said the Houthis and the terrorist organizations have been cooperating in various fields, including security and intelligence, providing a safe haven for many members of the terrorist organizations, coordinating combat operations against the legitimate forces, permitting the terrorist organizations to build and fortify their strongholds, while avoiding confrontations with them.
Jamal Mohammed al-Badawi, one of the terrorists behind the bombing on the US Navy destroyer the USS Cole, was freed from jail by the Houthis, the report stated.
Fifty-five al-Qaeda terrorists are currently in Sanaa and other Houthi-controlled areas, the report added.
The report also includes testimonies of al-Qaeda members who were captured by Yemen’s National Army Forces while they were fighting alongside the Houthi militia.
In the report, Al-Qaeda member Musa Nassir Ali Hassan al-Salhani admitted to the presence of al-Qaeda militants within the Houthi militia, and said that the Iran-backed group heavily relies on the militants in Sanaa.
The Yemeni government said that the Houthis and terrorist organizations plan coordinated criminal acts that threaten the security and stability of Yemen and the region, as well as international shipping lines.
The government called on the Security Council and the international community to “stand against the terrorism practiced by these militias, and to support and agree the efforts exerted by the legitimate government and the National Army to end their battle against all aspects of organized terrorism by these Houthi militia against all Yemenis.”
