# Houthis Capture UAE‑Supplied Chinese Howitzer and Armored Vehicles from Yemeni PLC Forces

*Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 6:09 PM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-23T18:09:56.969Z (3h ago)
**Category**: conflict | **Region**: Middle East
**Importance**: 8/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/18653.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: Ansar Allah fighters in Yemen have seized a large haul of armored vehicles and heavy weapons from forces aligned with the Presidential Leadership Council, including a rare China‑made Norinco AH4 155mm towed howitzer supplied by the UAE to the Southern Giants Brigade.

Houthi forces in Yemen have taken control of a significant cache of armored vehicles and heavy weapons from rival units aligned with the country’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), marking a fresh transfer of advanced kit on the battlefield.

According to conflict monitoring accounts on 23 September, Ansar Allah fighters captured a large number of various armored vehicles and heavy weapon systems from PLC forces. Among the equipment seized is a 155mm Norinco AH4 towed howitzer, a rare and modern China‑made artillery piece that had been supplied by the United Arab Emirates to the PLC‑aligned Southern Giants Brigade.

The loss of the AH4 underlines how foreign‑supplied systems continue to change hands in Yemen’s war. A weapon procured abroad by a Gulf state, passed to a local allied formation and then overrun, now sits with an opposing force that has proved resilient after years of conflict.

For PLC units, the setback is concrete: armored vehicles and heavy weapons are difficult to replace in a military already worn down by long fighting and dependent on outside support. Each system captured by the Houthis both reduces the stocks of PLC formations and expands the inventory available to their opponents.

The presence of a UAE‑supplied Chinese howitzer in Houthi hands also illustrates a recurring problem for external backers in proxy conflicts. Once advanced artillery and vehicles are pushed forward to local partners, front‑line collapses or rapid offensives can turn those assets into trophies and usable hardware for the other side.

In Yemen, where fighting runs close to populated areas, any shift that puts more long‑range artillery and heavy weapons under Houthi control raises the prospect of harder‑hitting firepower along contested front lines.

Key indicators to watch now are whether the Houthis attempt to field the Norinco AH4 operationally, how PLC‑aligned units adjust deployments of remaining heavy systems, and whether suppliers such as the UAE revisit how and where they place scarce modern artillery in a volatile theater.