Yemen’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology accused the Houthi group, in a statement issued on Tuesday 13 October 2026, of using civilian telecommunications networks and services under its control to support its military operations, warning of the repercussions for citizens and Yemen’s telecommunications infrastructure.
The ministry said the group uses civilian telecommunications networks and their services as a tool in the war, pointing to the increasing use of infrastructure under its control in activities linked to operating drones and projectiles. It added that, according to its accusations, the networks are used for spying, surveillance and information gathering, including data relating to citizens. It said these practices violate users’ privacy and threaten their security.
The ministry referred to the suspension of internet and telecommunications services in Taiz governorate, linking the move to the siege it said the group was imposing on the governorate and its continuing attempts to storm the city. According to the statement, the service suspension is intended to cover up what the ministry described as violations against civilians. It also deprives residents of their right to communicate and access essential services that depend on telecommunications and internet networks.
Warnings over the militarisation of telecommunications networks
The ministry warned of the risks arising from using the telecommunications sector for military and security purposes, saying that turning it from a national utility providing services to citizens into a support tool for military operations exposes users, facilities and vital equipment to serious damage.
The statement accused the Houthi group of using civilian networks to spread false news, rumours and misleading information serving its objectives, and of sending such content to citizens in different Yemeni areas. The ministry also said the group deliberately cuts telecommunications and internet services in areas of fighting and uses its control over the networks to serve its military and security purposes, according to the statement.
The ministry held the Houthi group responsible for the consequences of involving the telecommunications sector, its facilities and infrastructure in the conflict, including potential damage to citizens, essential services and national infrastructure.
It said that using civilian facilities for military activities and exposing them to the risk of being targeted constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. It called on the international community, the United Nations and the International Telecommunication Union to take a firm position and apply pressure to stop politicising the sector and using its infrastructure in military operations.
Calls to protect users and workers
The ministry warned citizens living in areas controlled by the group of the risks of surveillance and spying through the networks it operates, urging them to exercise caution when using telecommunications and internet services.
The ministry called on engineers, technicians and telecommunications-sector workers in Sana’a to uphold their professional responsibilities and reject any instructions aimed at using civilian networks to serve military operations, spying activities or actions harmful to citizens.
It called on sector workers to help protect facilities and equipment, ensure the continuity of services and keep civilian telecommunications networks separate from military and security uses. The ministry said the government was working to provide safe and independent alternatives for telecommunications and internet services in areas under its control, with the aim of ensuring service continuity and preventing its interruption for citizens.
