Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi reportedly killed in latest Israel strikes

Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi was reportedly killed alongside several of his associates in the recent Israeli strikes in Yemen according to reports from local media.

The prime minister was allegedly killed in an apartment in the capital Saana alongside others on Thursday. 

While the Israeli Military, IDF confirmed that it targeted the Houthi group’s defense minister, chief of staff and other top officials in a separate attack Thursday, it has not confirmed the death of al-Rahawi.

The IDF said it struck "a Houthi terrorist regime military target in the area of Sanaa" as videos on social media purported to be of the strike, showed the moment a huge fireball erupted in the area.

Al-Rahawi was a politician who had served as Prime Minister in the Houthi Government since August last year.

Times of Israel citing unnamed Israeli security officials, reports that Israeli intelligence learned at around 1pm that 10 Houthi ministers, including the minister of defense, and senior officials had gathered outside Sanaa to hear a speech by the group’s leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi. 

The IDF then launched a strike targeting the meeting. It remains unclear if the Houthi chief of staff, Muhammad al-Ghamari, was present or whether the strikes were successful in killing other Houthi leaders.

These latest strikes by Israel are in response to a Houthi missile strike on Israel last week using a new missile which carries multiple warheads and cluster bombs.

The IDF carried out Thursday’s strike after two interceptions of Houthi drones earlier in the day.

The latest strikes marked the 16th time that Israel has attacked the Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen and reportedly took place despite heavy air defences in the area. 

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