Aden (South24 Center)

The Security Belt Forces in the capital Aden announced on Thursday (June 19) the arrest of an employee at the General Secretariat of the Prime Minister's Office, on charges of working for the Houthi group's intelligence apparatus and involvement in a plot to assassinate former Prime Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak.

According to the forces statement, the operation followed precise intelligence investigations over several weeks that revealed the suspect, referred to by initials H.M.M.A., was providing the Houthis with sensitive information about government officials, in addition to passing on official documents related to employees at the Prime Minister's Office.

The statement added that the detainee had been traveling to Sanaa and meeting with prominent Houthi leaders, including the Special Forces commander, in exchange for receiving instructions and cash payments.

The Security Belt Forces published a video showing the suspect confessing to his affiliation with the Houthis and his involvement in planning a political assassination. The Security Belt Forces’ command considered the arrest as a qualitative strike that helped foil one of the most complex operations by the Iran-backed group.

This operation comes days after security authorities in Taiz governorate announced on June 16 the dismantling of a Houthi-linked cell in Al-Shamayteen district involved in sabotage operations and assassinations, including the killing of a World Food Program employee in Al-Turbah city in 2023.

The security campaign in Taiz resulted in the seizure of explosives, weapons, and rigged vehicles being prepared to target civilian and military figures in Taiz and other governorates.

These simultaneous developments raise questions about the increasing activities of Houthi cells within areas controlled by the Yemeni government, particularly in Al-Turbah city in Taiz governorate within areas controlled by the Islah Party, which is accused of becoming a center of hostile security and intelligence coordination operations.

In this context, the name of Brigadier Amjad Khaled, commander of the Transport Brigade in the Yemeni government, has been raised. Southern forces accuse him of involvement in “terrorist” operations in Aden, including bombings and assassinations targeting prominent Southern leaders.

Despite judicial rulings sentencing him to death, Khaled remains at large. He resides in Al-Turbah city since fleeing Aden in 2019, with authorities taking no steps to hand him over, amid accusations of collusion or political protection from influential parties in Taiz.

According to security sources, ignoring the implementation of judicial rulings against figures like Khaled weakens confidence in counterterrorism efforts and provides cover for sabotage elements to continue their activities.

In a separate development, Dar Saad police in Aden announced on June 17 the arrest of a Houthi-affiliated cell, whose members confessed to receiving training in Houthi camps and were tasked to monitor the movements of Southern security leaders and submit periodic reports to the group's leadership.

Taken together, these incidents indicate an escalation in Houthi security and intelligence operations in the south, coinciding with al-Qaeda (AQAP) activities in Abyan and Shabwa governorates.

The cases highlight Yemen's increasingly complex security landscape where conventional battlefronts coexist with shadowy intelligence wars involving multiple domestic and regional actors.