The Houthi terror group has become highly suspicious of spy presence within their ranks, leading to a wide wave of arrests in Yemen that included members of their security forces, according to a Friday Maariv report, citing a Yemeni security source.
The cause for the heightened suspicion of spy presence within the Houthis comes after a series of senior Houthi leaders were recently killed in aerial strikes while traveling. It was unclear how exactly the leaders were eliminated, therefore raising concerns, the source in the report explained.
Israel has threatened to eliminate the group's leadership on various recent occasions.
Due to concerns about Israeli strikes, the Houthi leadership has begun to build underground command complexes as precautions against potential attacks, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
A source familiar with the Houthis told the WSJ that the group's leaders have been frequently changing their hide-out locations and taking heightened security precautions, such as avoiding cell phones, amid Israel's threats.
Israel vows to strike Houthi leaders
Defense Minister Israel Katz made a vow to strike the Houthi leaders at the end of December following repeated attacks on Israel by the terror group.
"We will strike the Houthis hard, destroy their strategic infrastructure, and decapitate their leadership - just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar, and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon - we will do the same in Hodeidah and Sana'a."
"We have dealt severe blows to the Axis of Evil - and we will also deliver a decisive blow to the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen, the last one standing," Katz added.
Since the start of the war, the IDF has waged a multi-front campaign to neutralize threats across the Middle East.
In recent months, the Houthi regime has launched both drones (UAVs) and surface-to-surface missiles toward Israel.
The regime, a key branch of Iran's regional axis, has been accused of destabilizing the region and disrupting global maritime routes.
Continuous Houthi attacks
Approximately 40 surface-to-surface missiles have been launched from Yemen toward Israel since the war began.
The Israel Defense Force (IAF) intercepted most of the missiles that approached Israeli territory. To date, there has been one confirmed missile impact and two partial interceptions, which resulted in debris hitting certain areas. Other launches have failed before reaching their targets.
The Houthis have also launched around 320 drones toward Israeli territory. Of those, more than 100 were intercepted by the IAF. While most of the remaining drones either struck open areas, failed to reach Israeli airspace, or caused no significant damage, two have been confirmed as effective strikes.
On Wednesday, the United States conducted precision strikes targeting two underground storage facilities containing advanced conventional weaponry in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
According to a CENTCOM statement, the Houthis used these facilities to launch attacks against US Navy vessels and merchant ships in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The strikes caused no casualties or damage to US personnel or equipment.
"The strikes are part of efforts to thwart attempts by Iran-backed Houthis to threaten regional partners and military and commercial vessels in the area," the CENTCOM statement read.