Reuters: Mystery surrounds US announcement of killing senior Houthi missile expert

National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told reporters that US strikes on Yemen killed the Houthi rebels' "senior missile commander," without identifying him. However, the White House and the US military declined to comment on the matter and have not mentioned it publicly.

The White House said that US strikes in Yemen last March killed the Houthi rebels' top missile expert, but the US military has so far refused to confirm the death, and the identity of the Houthi commander remains unclear.

National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told CBS News after the March 15 strikes that the first wave killed "their top missile official."

Waltz also spoke about the killing in a secret text message, which was revealed by The Atlantic last week, saying, "The first target was their top missile officer. We were able to confirm his identity as he entered a building belonging to his girlfriend, which is now collapsing."

US officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said they had received no independent confirmation from the US military of such a killing.

It is unusual for the US Department of Defense to refrain from confirming the White House's announcement of a military operation. The military typically publicly reveals details about major objectives within days of a mission's success.

The US military declined to comment.

When asked to confirm the death of the Houthis' chief missile expert in a US airstrike, the White House referred Reuters to the US military. The military declined repeated requests over the course of a week to confirm his death or reveal the deceased's name. Houthi representatives could not be reached for comment during the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

According to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank, Abdulkhaliq Badreddine al-Houthi is the "de facto commander of the strategic missile forces."

Mohammed Al-Basha, whose risk consulting firm, Pasha Report, researches open source information on Yemen, examined Houthi reports of more than 40 Houthi militants killed during airstrikes in March.

He said that no high-profile figure such as Abdulkhaleq Badr al-Din al-Houthi has been identified among the reported casualties so far, nor has any death announcement been made on a Houthi-affiliated television channel for anyone whose details match those reported by Waltz.

However, he said the Houthis do not always immediately announce the identities of their dead, and noted that the missile force commanders are considered "secret."

Michael Knights, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the person Waltz referred to would be an Iranian-trained missile expert "involved in the management of this system." He added, "If they think they've got this guy, they probably have."

No mention of a missile expert in public statements

In his public remarks regarding the March 17 strikes, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not mention any missiles. However, he did say that a drone facility "was struck, containing a number of senior leaders."

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, US President Donald Trump said that US airstrikes had "destroyed" the Houthis. He wrote, "Many of their leaders are no longer with us," without elaborating.

These raids, the largest US military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office last January, aim to compel the Iran-aligned Houthis to halt their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, as well as US warships.

The group has carried out more than 100 attacks on cargo ships since the start of Israel's war with Hamas in late 2023, claiming to act in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The attacks have impacted global trade and prompted the US military to launch a costly campaign to intercept the missiles.

Under the leadership of Abdulmalik al-Houthi, the Houthis' fighters are estimated to number in the tens of thousands and possess an advanced arsenal of drones and ballistic missiles. Their leaders say they will escalate their attacks in response to the US campaign.

Knights said the US strikes were far more intense than those carried out under former President Joe Biden's administration. However, he doubted the rebels' ability to surrender, saying, "Their tolerance for pain is high, so trying to subdue them is one of the most difficult tasks." He added, "Our attempt to subdue the Houthis is like striving to achieve the unattainable."

Source: Reuters