Barran Press
The Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, announced on Monday, June 10, the capture of what it described as an "American-Israeli spy network" operating in Yemen for decades. This declaration comes just days after the group detained dozens of UN and international agency staff.
In a statement released by the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency, the group alleged that the network "collected sensitive information about various aspects of the Yemeni state and provided it to American and Israeli intelligence."
The network was accused of "attempting to influence decision-makers, infiltrating state institutions to serve American and Israeli interests, carrying out subversive activities in agriculture, health, education, and other sectors, targeting the religious identity of the Yemeni people, and spreading immorality and vice."
The statement further claimed the network "provided American and Israeli intelligence with military information that weakened the Yemeni army, and collected information about the state budget and military fronts," referring to the Houthi forces and their battlefronts.
The Houthi group declared the exposure of this network as a "major and significant security achievement, reflecting the efforts of its security agencies in combating espionage and protecting the homeland."
Since Thursday, June 7, the Houthis have launched a widespread arrest campaign targeting international and UN staff working in Sana'a and areas under their control.
116 local organizations stated that the Houthis "carried out a simultaneous armed campaign in areas under their control (Sana'a, Hodeidah, Saada, and Amran), targeting Yemeni staff working for the UN, international organizations, and civil society organizations, on Thursday and Friday (June 6-7)."
The organizations, in a joint statement seen by Barran Press, indicated that the number of detainees reached "50 staff members from international organizations, UN agencies, and civil society organizations."
On Sunday, June 9, informed sources in Sana'a reported that dozens of international and UN staff arrested by the Houthis were subjected to severe torture in secret prisons belonging to the group in Sana'a.
The sources, speaking to Barran Press on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the group forced the detained staff to confess under torture, describing the confessions extracted as "fabricated" and claiming their "connection to an intelligence agency spying against the group, affiliated with Washington and the Zionist entity."
According to the sources, the Houthis documented these confessions with audio and video recordings and are currently processing them for broadcast in the coming days to promote a security achievement they claim to have achieved in the areas under their control.
The Houthis regularly announce the discovery of spy networks working for America and Israel, claiming they aim to target Yemeni national security and what they call "religious identity," referring to the group's religious beliefs that they have been spreading among Yemeni society since their coup against the internationally recognized Yemeni government in late 2014.