The Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist movement has finally confirmed the death of its Chief of Staff, Muhammad Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, a significant blow to the terrorist group’s military command structure. Al-Ghamari was killed during a targeted Israeli airstrike on the capital, Sanaa, in late August, an attack the Houthis had initially sought to downplay.
The delayed official announcement confirms Israeli assessments from the highly targeted attack, which has been described by Israeli officials as an operation to eliminate the Houthi military and governmental elite.
Delayed Confirmation Follows Weeks of Denial
The confirmation comes nearly two months after the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted a major strike on August 28, targeting a high-level meeting of Houthi leaders. Israel’s objective was to eliminate key military and political figures, including the then-Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and Defense Minister Mohamed al-Atifi, alongside al-Ghamari.
While the Houthis quickly confirmed the death of al-Rahawi and acknowledged the attack’s severity, the status of al-Ghamari and al-Atifi remained deliberately ambiguous. Over the intervening weeks, Houthi media had reportedly attempted to mask al-Ghamari’s demise by issuing statements in his name, a tactic often used by terrorist military groups to obscure a leadership loss and maintain the perception of stability.
The official recognition of his death now removes all doubt regarding the success of the Israeli operation against one of the most senior military figures directing Houthi operations, particularly the missile and drone attacks against Israel and Red Sea shipping.
