Houthis Detain Civilians to Suppress Leaked Video of U.S. Strike on Arms Depot

The Iran-backed Houthi militia carried out a widespread arrest campaign targeting several citizens in Bani Matar district, west of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. This comes in response to the leak of a video documenting the moment of violent explosions inside the "Al-Sawari" weapons factory, which was targeted by a U.S. airstrike two days ago.

Local sources said that elements from the Houthi security and intelligence apparatus raided several villages in the district and arrested a number of residents on charges of sharing the video, which showed the factory exploding with plumes of smoke and flames rising into the sky. The footage embarrassed the group and confirmed the military nature of the targeted site.

The arrests also included several civil defense personnel who rushed to the explosion site immediately after the airstrike. They were detained and subjected to intense interrogation, including searches of their phones and data extraction, before being released later. The sources added.

The leaked video reportedly shocked the militia’s leadership, which had attempted to downplay the impact of the airstrike by claiming the targeted site was civilian. However, the footage captured the moment an ammunition stockpile exploded inside the factory, exposing its military nature and undermining the group’s narrative.

According to available information, the detainees were taken to an undisclosed location, sparking fear and anger among residents of Bani Matar, who expressed concerns that their relatives could face torture or fabricated charges.

These developments come amid escalating U.S. airstrikes on Houthi-controlled sites in Sanaa and other areas, part of a military response to repeated Houthi attacks on international maritime navigation in the Red Sea. These attacks have pushed the U.S. to increase its military intervention to deter the group and counter its growing threats to strategic sea lanes.