The assassination by the Houthis of a tribal leader in Al-Jawf ignites a confrontation with the Dahm tribes

In an attempt to subdue and coerce the Dahm tribes, who reside in Al-Jawf Governorate, Houthi militias assassinated a tribal leader on Saturday.

Tribal and media sources said that Houthi militias unleashed a barrage of gunfire at Sheikh Nasser bin Hassan Jarallah Al-Salahi at a security checkpoint in the town of ‘Afi, in the governorate located in the northeast of the country.

• Houthis threaten escalation if attacks on Iran resume

• The Unified System: the Houthis’ tool for spying on Yemenis

According to the sources, Sheikh Al-Salahi died instantly, while the Dahm tribes retaliated with a swift attack on a militia checkpoint, resulting in the death of three members of the Iran-backed group.

“This assassination came after his participation in a tribal mobilization and the Al-Yatma gatherings of the Dahm tribes to pressure the Houthi militias to release Sheikh Hamad bin Rashid Fadgham Al-Hazmi, who was abducted by the coupists from his home on April 20 of this month,” the sources added.

Following the assassination, Houthi militias launched a campaign of pursuits and abductions targeting members of the Dhu Muhammad tribe as well as neighboring tribes of Dahm, while the situation in Al-Jawf remains in a state of escalating tension, according to the sources.

• Hidden collusion with the Houthis: the record of the Muslim Brotherhood’s maneuvers from Taiz to the coast

• Wall Street Journal: Military Power Trumps Ideology… Houthis Distance Themselves from Iran in the War

On April 11 of this month, Houthi militias assassinated Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al-Masoudi, one of the sheikhs of the Hanka Al-Masoud tribes, in Al-Bayda Governorate.

Recently, Houthi militias have eliminated a number of tribal leaders in areas under their control, the latest being on March 18 with the assassination of tribal leader Fares Mohsen Rubaid, one of the prominent sheikhs of the Nihm tribe, as he was passing along Al-Sittin Street near Al-Iman University in Sanaa.

• Iran war: potential repercussions in Yemen place the Houthis between two pressures

• After Khamenei’s Death, the Houthis in Yemen Face an “Unknown” Fate

In early January 2026, Sheikh Abdu Saleh Al-Ghamari, one of the sheikhs of Al-Qafr District in Ibb Governorate, was shot dead by Houthi gunmen in a crime that shook public opinion and sparked a wave of outrage in tribal circles.

The assassinations of tribal leaders fall within the framework of a systematic Houthi approach aimed at dismantling the tribal structure in Yemen, amid escalating tribal revenge conflicts deliberately fueled by the militias to eliminate traditional influence and impose their rule by force.

• Political analyst: The Houthis are dragging Yemen into regional conflicts and pushing the country toward greater isolation

• The Houthis Align with Iran: Resumption of Attacks on Maritime Navigation

• Domination through intimidation: the Houthis impose their ideology by force of arms

• Strangling the arms… 2025 breaks the Houthis’ weapons smuggling network

• A human rights report exposes the secret collusion between Yemen’s Brotherhood and the Houthis against the South

• The Houthis escalate by detaining more UN staff

• Houthis recalibrate their military compass toward southern Yemen