In a new escalation, Houthi militants stormed a Salafi mosque in the Zuraja area of Al-Hadda District, Dhamar Province, detaining several clerics and closing the mosque, according to local sources. The move marks a clear breach of the 2015 “Coexistence and Brotherhood” agreement between the Houthis and Yemen’s Salafi movement.

Witnesses said Houthi forces raided the mosque during dawn prayers, confiscated its contents, and transferred the mosque’s caretakers to an undisclosed location.
This attack comes amid a broader campaign targeting Salafi centers and preachers, particularly those affiliated with scholar Mohammed al-Imam.

 Background of the Agreement

The 2015 “Coexistence and Brotherhood” pact was meant to ensure that Salafis would remain politically neutral in exchange for the freedom to run their mosques and schools without interference.
However, since 2018, the Houthis have shut down dozens of Salafi institutions in Sanaa, Saada, and Dhamar, and arrested many clerics under the pretext of “ideological deviation.”

A Pattern of Religious Persecution

Human rights groups report that since the Houthi coup in 2014, over 800 mosques have been destroyed, confiscated, or repurposed by the militia.
In 2024, they closed the Tablighi Jamaat Center in Hodeidah and detained dozens of its members, citing “violations of Houthi doctrine.”

Analysts view the latest attack as part of a wider sectarian purge aimed at consolidating ideological control and eliminating competing religious voices.

 Political and Sectarian Dimensions

According to Yemeni researcher Abdulkarim al-Shumeiri, “The Houthis see the Salafis as a long-term intellectual threat. Even if they remain apolitical, their Sunni doctrine fundamentally contradicts the Houthi ideology of divine leadership.”

Observers believe this assault sends a message of intimidation to other religious groups in Houthi-controlled areas:
“Submit to the group’s authority—or face suppression.”