Two individuals suspected of being experts linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been killed, and two others are reported missing, following an attack on a vehicle that had separated from a Houthi militia convoy in the Maqbanah district, west of Taiz province. According to a report published by Sheba Intelligence on Friday, September 25, 2026, the Houthi militia initiated a search operation after the four men went missing. A Houthi team later recovered the bodies of two individuals, while the fate of the remaining two remains unknown. Sources indicated that the four men were part of a Houthi convoy that arrived in the Al-Barah area of Maqbanah district. They were reportedly wearing local Yemeni attire and carrying large bags and electronic devices. Their manner of speech and appearance drew the attention of government forces who were monitoring the convoy. The men were speaking Arabic with a non-Yemeni accent, and internal Houthi sources identified them as specialists connected to the IRGC. The four individuals and their security escorts later separated from the main Houthi convoy and boarded a medium-sized bus that took a side road towards Jebel Habashi. The larger part of the convoy continued its route towards Mocha and the Red Sea coast. The vehicle carrying the four men was targeted after its separation from the convoy. The exact nature of the attack and the responsible party were not definitively clarified, though an airstrike was considered a strong possibility, given the aerial activity against Houthi positions and movements in western Taiz. Houthi search teams later arrived at the incident site and recovered the bodies of two of the men. Information regarding the fate of the other two—whether they were killed, injured, or captured—remains unconfirmed. Sheba Intelligence has not been able to independently verify the identities of the four men or the circumstances of the attack on their vehicle. This incident occurs amidst escalating battles in western and southern Taiz, as well as in parts of Lahj and the entrances to Bab al-Mandab. These developments coincide with Houthi movements toward coastal areas and elevated positions overlooking supply routes between the interior and the Red Sea coast. Earlier, military sources had reported the presence of Iranian experts in the Bab al-Mandab region, with other reports detailing activities related to the installation of radar systems and the construction of fortifications in mountainous areas overlooking the strait. Fronts in western Taiz have also recently seen airstrikes and targeting of Houthi movements and reinforcements, while fighting continues around routes and passages connecting Taiz to the western coast and southern Yemen. |
