ALBAWABA - A top commander with the government-aligned National Resistance Forces in Yemen was murdered Saturday when an explosive detonated against his convoy in the western province of Hodeidah, military authorities said.
The National Resistance Forces reported Brig. Gen. Yahya Wahish, commander of the First Brigade of the force, was passing through the Al-Khawkhah district when a roadside bomb went off near his convoy.
The group added in a statement that Wahish and one of his escorts were killed in the explosion and two other members of the convoy were injured.
Military officials blamed the Houthi movement for installing the explosive device, but no group claimed responsibility for the attack and the Houthis did not immediately respond to the claims.
Following his death, Wahish was celebrated by Yemeni government authorities and military organizations as a famous field commander who played a vital role in anti-Houthi military operations and was one of the important members of the Tihama Resistance movement.
Walid Al-Qudaimi, the Minister of State, hailed the commander’s efforts, adding that his legacy will be an important element of Yemen’s military and national battle.
The attack comes despite a sharp drop in large-scale combat since a peace took hold in 2022. Fighting has mostly died down, but there are still periodic confrontations and security incidents in sections of the country.
For more than a decade, Yemen has been divided between the internationally recognized government and the Houthi movement, which controls much of the country including the capital, Sana’a.
