Barran Press
On November 10, 2024, sources reported the death of another Iranian-backed Hezbollah leader with early connections to the Houthi movement, which is internationally designated as a terrorist organization.
According to Yemeni military expert and journalist Adnan Al-Jabirni, the prominent Hezbollah figure Ahmed Hajj Ali, known as "Abu Ali Al-Hadi," was killed, although details regarding the circumstances of his death were not provided.
Al-Jabirni noted in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Al-Hadi had spent years alongside the Houthis as an "operations officer," overseeing planning and command for several Houthi battles from an early stage. He stated that Al-Hadi was responsible for multiple Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard cells in Sana'a.
Just days prior, reports emerged regarding the death of another Hezbollah leader, Ali Adel Ashmar (Mahdi), who was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Ashmar was identified as one of the key advisors to the Houthis and had been in Yemen for an extended period. He participated in the leadership of battles to capture the city of Amran and was active in the Al-Ghoul area of Amran governorate.
On October 21, another Hezbollah leader, Basel Shukr, was killed in an Israeli strike targeting a Hezbollah position in southern Lebanon. Media outlets and activists circulated images of him leading Houthi operations, including fierce battles for control of Marib governorate.
Hezbollah has played a crucial role in the formation and support of the Houthi movement, particularly during the six wars against the Yemeni state in Saada from 2004 to 2010. Following the Houthis' takeover of Sana'a in late 2014, many of Hezbollah's experts were dispatched to train Houthi fighters and provide field support for their expansionist campaigns.
Over the past years, local and regional media have circulated leaked recordings showing Hezbollah leaders conducting training and mobilization for Houthi elements in Sana'a. This has been part of Hezbollah's efforts to bolster the Houthis in their quest for dominance in Yemen.
Since 2015, the Houthi wars have featured prominently in the speeches of Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah. He has often emphasized the significant implications of the battle for Marib, asserting that its outcome would drastically alter the region's dynamics.
In April 2024, Marib Governor Sheikh Sultan Al-Aradah confirmed in a television interview the involvement of Hezbollah's leader in sending fighters to support the Houthis, framing this intervention as part of Iran's broader strategy to establish proxies across the Arab world.