Houthis Capture Gulf-Supplied Weapons in Yemen as They Overrun PLC Positions
Ansar Allah (Houthis) have seized multiple positions from forces aligned with Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, along with an anti-drone jammer and foreign-made rifles and mortars. Conflict monitors say much of the captured equipment was originally supplied by the UAE and Saudi Arabia to anti-Houthi units.
The latest Houthi gains in Yemen don’t just change the front line; they change who holds foreign-supplied weapons.
Accounts tracking the conflict report that Ansar Allah, widely known as the Houthis, have captured “numerous positions and territories” from forces aligned with the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). In those areas, the group seized an anti-drone jammer, an FN Minimi light machine gun, Sudan-made O-832-DU mortar bombs, and Serbian-made Zastava M93 “Black Arrow” anti-materiel rifles and Zastava M91 sniper rifles.
These systems were mostly supplied by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to anti-Houthi units, according to the same reporting. Their capture shows how equipment provided by Gulf states to their local partners can shift hands when PLC positions fall.
For PLC-aligned troops, the immediate impact is straightforward: weapons meant to strengthen their defenses are now in Houthi stockpiles. The loss of an anti-drone jammer is particularly sensitive in a conflict where unmanned aircraft have become a regular feature of the battlefield.
The episode also highlights a longer-running problem for the coalition backing the Yemeni government. As battles drag on, the risk increases that advanced gear will end up in Houthi arsenals, either through direct capture or the collapse of units that once received external support.
Key questions now are whether coalition suppliers respond by changing how and where they deliver weapons, whether there are attempts to destroy captured systems from the air, and how prominently Houthi outlets showcase the seized gear as battlefield trophies.
Sources
- OSINT