Aden (South24 Center)

Security forces in Aden announced on Monday (November 9) the arrest of three men suspected of links to the Houthi militia, releasing video-recorded statements in which the detainees described military training in Iran, Syria, and Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, as well as recruitment activities aimed at expanding the group's presence in the city.

According to the recordings released by the National Security Forces, one of the detainees, Abdullah Ali Muhammad Al-Alawi, 49, said he traveled to Iran in 2012, where he underwent 45 days of military training before moving to Syria for further training and subsequently returning to Sanaa.

Al-Alawi described efforts to recruit residents of Aden, including individuals from Al-Mualla District and other areas, to join the Houthis and expand the group's local support base. He also referred to several recruitment groups and financial resources allocated to these activities, without specifying the number of recruits or the amount of funding involved.

Another detainee, Rakan Muhammad Ali Ghalib, from Al-Buraiqa District, said he joined the Houthis after being promised better living conditions. He subsequently received military training in Sanaa and the Marran area, including marksmanship, weapons handling, and the use of explosives.

Ghalib said trainees had been informed that they could be sent back to Aden to carry out operations using the skills they had acquired. He added that approximately 25 individuals participated in one of the training courses he attended.

The third detainee, Alaa Muhammad Naji Farhan, 31, from Crater District, said he traveled with approximately ten individuals from Al-Mualla to the Al-Hawban area of Taiz. He described financial incentives offered to recruits and efforts to enlist Aden residents to strengthen the Houthis' support network in the city.

The National Security Forces said the recorded statements also contained details of training in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the use of light and medium weapons, attacks on military positions, and intelligence-gathering activities.

The announcement follows a series of security operations across South Yemen in October, including the dismantling of an alleged Houthi-linked cell in Aden's Dar Saad District. Police said the cell had been planning attacks against security officials using explosives.

On October 19, Aden Governor Abdulrahman Sheikh announced the arrest of suspected Houthi-linked cell members and wanted individuals in the Shamsan Mountains.

Authorities in Lahj and Abyan also announced the dismantling of suspected Houthi-linked cells earlier that month, accusing their members of plotting assassinations and attacks on supply routes.