“Collaboration” Label: Intelligence Accusations Haunt Sanaa Residents Without Details

The Iran-backed Houthi group announced on Saturday evening that it had detained a number of people it said were working for Israeli intelligence services, amid a wave of arrests in the capital, Sanaa, in recent days, without providing clear details about the detainees or the cases.According to the group’s Houthi-run news agency, the security and intelligence service said it had uncovered “direct espionage activities” that included passing military and security information to outside parties, among them Mossad and Israeli military intelligence, as well as data on economic facilities inside the country.  Announcement without details  Despite describing the operation as a “major security achievement,” the Houthi security and intelligence statement was brief and lacked essential details.Journalist Faris Al-Humairi noted that the statement ignored the key questions any security account should answer: when did the operation take place, where, and how? It also offered no explanation of the scale of the damage the accused were said to have caused. He also pointed out that the wording of the statement was unusual, as it was recorded in an unfamiliar voice, unlike the usual practice of issuing such statements in writing or through named security officials.  Ground operation  The announcement followed local reports of an arrest campaign carried out by the Houthi group in Sanaa and other areas under its control, targeting a number of people on espionage-related charges, without any explanation being issued.The Houthi group has previously announced the dismantling of espionage networks linked to outside parties, and such announcements often coincide with regional tensions or military escalation.  Current regional context  The development comes as the region is witnessing an escalation tied to the confrontation between Iran and Israel, with the Houthis involved in Red Sea attacks they say target interests linked to Israel.

For now, the available information remains confined to a brief statement issued by a coup group that rules people by force as a de facto authority, amid a complete absence of independent information. 

In this climate of ambiguity, Yemenis face sweeping accusations without any public evidence, while the arrest campaign in Sanaa continues to widen, with everyone now in the crosshairs unless they are loyal supporters of the Iran-backed group’s project.

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