The Houthi capture of Sanaa on 21 September 2014 ended Hadi government control of the capital and triggered Yemen's ongoing civil war.
Key Facts
- Battle start date
- 9 September 2014
- Capital fell
- 21 September 2014
- Killed on 9 September
- 7 deaths
- Killed on 18 September
- 40 deaths
- Killed on 19 September
- more than 60 deaths
- Houthi commander
- Mohammed Ali al-Houthi
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Pro-Houthi protesters under Abdul-Malik al-Houthi marched on the cabinet office in Sanaa on 9 September 2014 and were fired upon by government security forces, killing seven. Tensions escalated further as the Houthis attempted to seize Yemen TV and clashed with both Islah Party supporters and military and police units in northern Sanaa over the following days.
Between 9 and 21 September 2014, Houthi forces engaged in sustained urban combat against Yemeni government security forces, Islah Party supporters, and military units throughout Sanaa. The fighting culminated on 21 September when Houthi fighters captured the government headquarters, completing their takeover of the capital city.
The fall of Sanaa to the Houthis marked the effective collapse of Hadi government authority in the capital and set in motion an armed takeover of state institutions that unfolded over subsequent months, directly precipitating Yemen's protracted civil war.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi.
Side B
2 belligerents