Terrorism
Yemenis' rage swells as Houthis' missiles misfire, endangering civilians
Failed missile launches that put civilian lives in danger are fanning the flames of discontent in areas under the Iran-backed group's control.
Houthi missile crashes in al-Asha district of Yemen's Amran province, north of Sanaa.
By Faisal Abu Bakr |
ADEN -- The Iran-backed Houthis' attempts to strike Israel and ships in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles are endangering civilians in Yemen, as faulty launches and weak propulsion systems cause missiles to crash in populated regions.
In a failed launch attempt on April 8, a Houthi ballistic missile crashed in Yemen's Amran province shortly after liftoff, Al-Mashhad News reported.
Launched from the mountains of al-Hayrah in Amran's Harf Sufyan district, the missile reversed course and fell in an open area near the al-Asha district village of al-Qaradi. Villagers discovered missile debris at the crash site.
While no casualties were reported, the incident raised concerns about repeated failed Houthi launches and their potential harm to civilians, according to Al-Mashhad News.
![A Houthi fighter stands on the outskirts of Amran on July 5, 2015. On April 8, 2025, the Houthis launched a ballistic missile from a mountainous area in Amran province that failed to hit its target and crashed in an open area. [Narciso Contreras/ Hans Lucas via AFP]](/gc1/images/2025/04/17/50022-houthi-fighter-amran-600_384.webp)
"There have been precedents and similar instances of failed missile launches in the past," Abdul Qader al-Kharraz, director of research at the Berlin-based Arab Democratic Center, told Al-Fassel.
"The weapons used and launched from populated areas will cause damage and human losses, and these losses are unacceptable," he said.
"Such failed operations increase popular discontent, which is mounting by the day," he added, noting that they devastate communities already pushed to the breaking point.
"This adds to 10 years of suffering under Houthi control," political analyst Faisal Ahmed told Al-Fassel. "The impact extends across humanitarian, economic and social sectors."
The poverty rate has surged above 80% under Houthi rule, according to United Nations indicators, with missile accidents and other violations compounding the humanitarian crisis.
Houthis under fire
Public anger against Houthi control has exploded across social media, with Yemeni activists channeling the outrage into a viral campaign launched April 8.
The #Houthi_Last_Days campaign "exposes all the violations experienced by the Yemeni people, including the planting of mines, arrests, unfair trials and executions," Ahmed said.
The string of failed missile launches meanwhile underscores "the group's weakness in light of US strikes targeting Houthi leaders and military capabilities," al-Kharraz said.
The US air campaign has scattered Houthi commanders from their Sanaa stronghold and further degraded their "already weak capabilities," Ahmed said.