Iran-backed Houthis Impose Military Siege on Khabza Village in Al-Bayda Amid Fears of Escalation

The Iran-backed Houthis have imposed a suffocating military siege on Khabza village in Al-Qarashiyah district, Al-Bayda province (southern Yemen), which is under their control. This comes after days of deploying massive military reinforcements, including armored vehicles and dozens of combat trucks, tightening their grip around the village, according to local sources.

The sources reported that the Houthis initially claimed their movements aimed to "pass through to other areas." However, once their forces reached the outskirts of the village, they imposed a strict siege, sparking fears among residents of renewed escalation, particularly given the region’s history of violence.

The Houthis sent large military reinforcements to encircle the village, despite ongoing tribal mediation efforts to contain tensions.

This mirrors previous Houthi incursions into nearby areas, such as Hankat Al-Masoud, where they expanded military operations to include several villages, including Khabza and Hama Sarar. In Khabza, the group attempted negotiations with residents to avoid confrontation, but later surprised them by imposing a military siege after deploying reinforcements.

These developments recall the violent clashes in Khabza in 2014 and 2022, when the Houthis committed grave crimes and violations against the village’s inhabitants.