Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari
Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari | |
|---|---|
| محمد عبد الكريم الغماري | |
| Chief of Staff of the Yemeni Armed Forces disputed by Sagheer Hamoud Aziz (Presidential Leadership Council) | |
| Assumed office Unknown (c. 2016) | |
| Appointed by | Mohammed Ali al-Houthi |
| President | Mahdi al-Mashat |
| Prime Minister | Talal Aklan Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour Ahmad al-Rahawi |
| Preceded by | Hussein Khairan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1982 (age 42–43) Izla Dhaen, Washhah district, Hajjah Governorate, Yemen Arab Republic |
| Nationality |  Yemen |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Yemen (de facto under Supreme Political Council) |
| Branch/service |  Yemeni Armed Forces (SPC) Houthis |
| Years of service | c. ?–present |
| Rank |  Major general |
| Battles/wars | Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) Battle of Sanaa (2014) Marib campaign |
Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari (Arabic: محمد عبد الكريم الغماري) is the Chief of the General Staff of the Houthi-led faction of the Yemeni Armed Forces, holding the rank of Major General.[1][2][3]
Background
[edit]Born around 1979–1984 in Izla Dhaen, Washhah district, Hajjah Governorate, Yemen. He studied at the Hussain Badr al‑Din al‑Houthi Institute circa 2003.[4]
Career
[edit]He rose through the Houthi ranks since the early 2000s, trained by Hezbollah and Iran’s IRGC in Syria and Lebanon, and is credited with establishing Houthi suicide units and military camps.[5][6] In 2007 he oversaw training in Hajjah, and by 2016 he was appointed Houthi Chief of Staff.[2]
Military role
[edit]Al‑Ghamari coordinates military campaigns, including cross-border missile/drone strikes in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and more recently at Israel. He led offensives in Marib province (2021–22), which threatened nearly a million internally displaced people.[7]
Sanctions & international status
[edit]Sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in May 2021 as a Specially Designated National (SDN) for coordinating offensive operations.[2][5] Added to UN Security Council’s sanctions list in November 2021 for threatening Yemeni peace and stability and cross-border aggression.[2][7]
Attempted assassination
[edit]On 14 June, the IDF stated that it had targeted al-Ghamari.[8] An Israeli official later stated that he had been wounded in the attack, though this was denied by the Houthis.[9] Some Israeli media reports had initially claimed that al-Ghamari was targeted while he was meeting other Houthi leaders, however the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation later stated that he was at a khat-chewing party.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ نيوز, العرش (14 June 2025). "من هو محمد عبدالكريم الغماري الذي أعلنت إسرائيل استهدافه في صنعاء؟ محلي". العرش نيوز (in Arabic). Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Muhammad Abd Al-Karim Al-Ghamari". Counter Extremism Project. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ Azulay, Moran; Zitun, Yoav (15 June 2025). "Houthi military chief of staff wounded in Yemen attack, official says". Ynetnews. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ "Houthi military chief of staff wounded in Yemen attack, official says". 15 June 2025.
- ^ a b Truzman, Joe (6 October 2024). "Analysis: The Houthis' leadership structure". FDD's Long War Journal. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ Fabian, Emanuel. "Israeli officials say Houthi military chief targeted in Yemen strike". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ a b "MUHAMMAD ABD AL-KARIM AL-GHAMARI | Security Council". main.un.org. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ Fabian, Emanuel (15 June 2025). "Israeli officials say Houthi military chief targeted in Yemen strike". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ Azulay, Moran; Zitun, Yoav (15 June 2025). "Houthi military chief of staff wounded in Yemen attack, official says". Ynet. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ "Houthi military chief was at khat-chewing party when targeted in Israeli strike – report". The Times of Israel. 19 June 2025. Retrieved 21 June 2025.