Yemen in the crosshairs of cyber espionage.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Follow-ups

Arab Sea - Yemen - Follow-ups: A report has revealed an American-Israeli focus on escalating the electronic warfare against the Houthis in Yemen, through espionage and recruitment operations, in order to compensate for the "intelligence vacuum" surrounding the de facto authority in Sana'a. According to testimonies from Yemenis published by "The Cradle" magazine, hundreds of journalists and activists have received calls and invitations for written conversations in various "circumventing" formats, some of which impersonated Palestinians, noting that these intelligence efforts have escalated after October 7, 2023, when Sana'a entered the confrontation line in direct support of Gaza, prompting Tel Aviv and Washington to consider Yemen a priority intelligence target. The Intelligence Vacuum Eyal Pinko, a former Israeli defense official and researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, was quoted as saying: "Israel has extensive intelligence knowledge with Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas. But in Yemen, there is no ground maneuver and not enough intelligence. The situation here is completely different," according to "Russia Today." Until November 18, 2023, agencies such as the Mossad or the Military Intelligence Directorate (Aman) had not prioritized Yemen. But after the continuous attacks from Sana'a, the position changed, and calls began for intelligence openness on Yemen to reduce the surprises of the battle. Targeting Yemenis Online In light of this vacuum, Tel Aviv and Washington began to compensate for the shortage through complex electronic espionage campaigns. A security source tells The Cradle that recruitment efforts often begin by searching for Yemeni Jews who are fluent in the Sana'ani dialect or other local dialects, to use them as intermediaries to gather information. He adds that another escalating method is the widespread digital advertisements that appear across social media, offering financial rewards of up to one million dollars for information about leaders of Ansar Allah, naval sites, or strategic targets. These advertisements are issued from suspicious accounts linked to the Mossad, and other official accounts affiliated with American entities such as the Treasury Department or the American Embassy, under the guise of "protecting navigation" or "ensuring the security of the Red Sea." The source confirms that the main goal is to collect information about Sana'a's naval force and the military activity connected to the maritime front. He reveals that a number of spies who were arrested received training in European countries, then returned under the guise of international, media, or humanitarian organizations, which allowed them to move freely inside the country. Their tasks included monitoring military sites, collecting detailed information about weapons and equipment, and sending coordinates of sensitive sites, as well as carrying out sabotage and assassination operations using advanced encryption devices and spyware. He adds that these networks operate under developmental, academic, and economic covers, but in reality, they represent intelligence arms of the Central Intelligence Agency and the Mossad. Espionage in Broad Daylight These hacking campaigns follow a recurring pattern. Yemenis have reported receiving messages from foreign numbers, often with Israeli or European codes, offering attractive jobs in the media or international organizations. The messages often impersonate academics or journalists, and cite local names to build trust, then request accurate information about sensitive sites. In a confidential case reviewed by The Cradle, journalists were asked to collect detailed information about Al-Sabeen Square in Sana'a, including checkpoints, building uses, and communications infrastructure, according to Russia Today. Dismantling Espionage Networks Sana'a authorities have announced that between 2015 and March 2024, more than 1,782 espionage cells were dismantled and 25,665 collaborators with foreign agencies were arrested. In May 2024, "Unit 400" - one of the most dangerous American-Israeli espionage networks - which was working on the west coast to penetrate defenses and identify strategic sites, was dismantled. Its dismantling was a severe blow to the accuracy of American and Israeli attacks. In January 2025, an espionage network working for British and Saudi intelligence was arrested, which was targeting the undermining of Yemeni support for Gaza. In Saada, a cell affiliated with the Mossad and the American CIA was uncovered, which was tracking drone facilities.