On February 25, 2025, Faisal bin Amin Abu Ras, brother of the General People’s Congress (GPC) President in Sanaa, said that the Iran-backed Houthi had detained Sheikh Aqeel Fadil, the head of the GPC’s Ibb branch. In an X post seen by "Barran Press," Abu Ras revealed that Fadil has been held at the Houthi-controlled security administration in Ibb since Monday night.

Abu Ras linked the detention to an armed clash that occurred during the funeral of one of Fadil’s relatives. The skirmish, involving light and medium weapons, left several people injured. While the identities of those responsible for the gunfire remain unclear, Abu Ras suggested that the Houthis targeted Fadil in response to the incident.