Abdul Latif al-Mahdi

Abd al-Latif Hamud Yahya al-Mahdi al-Nua, known as Abu Nasr al-Shaf, is the commander of the Houthis’ Fourth Military District and the commander of the 35th Armored Brigade. The area under his command includes Dhamar Governorate, Taiz Governorate, Lahij Governorate, and Ad-Dali Governorate, located in the region south of Sanaʿa (the capital of Yemen) and north of Aden. He is regarded as one of the senior Houthi commanders maintaining close ties with the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. During the war, he was involved, together with other leaders, in the recruitment of children and in holding civilians hostage with the aim of exchanging them for captured fighters. He is directly responsible for attacks against civilian targets in Aden, Lahij, and Taiz, using ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). Among other operations, he commanded the attack on Aden International Airport on December 30, 2020, and the strike on a military parade at al-Anad Air Base in early 2019.