Houthi militia announces death of top commander al-Ghamari, right-hand man to leader Abdul-Malik, in Israeli–U.S. strike

The Iran-backed Houthi militia announced Thursday the death of its Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammed Abdul Karim al-Ghamari — one of its most senior military figures and the right-hand man to group leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi — in a series of airstrikes targeting areas under the group’s control.

According to the Houthi-run Saba news agency, al-Ghamari was killed along with his son Hussein and several bodyguards in what the group described as “American-Zionist aggression,” without specifying the exact location or timing of the strike.

The announcement comes days after Israeli media reports suggested an assassination attempt targeted al-Ghamari during a secret meeting in the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa. Israel’s public broadcaster said he had been critically wounded in that operation.

Al-Ghamari, believed to be around 50 years old, was regarded as one of the Houthis’ top military strategists and the de facto commander of the group’s forces overseeing combat operations across multiple fronts.

He was appointed Chief of Staff in 2016 and was subsequently promoted to the rank of Major General by the group.

His reported death raises fresh questions about the fate of the Houthis’ senior leadership amid an escalation in strikes that have recently targeted the group’s top commanders.