Conflicting stories have surfaced on the death of Brigadier General Adnan Mohammed Al-Hammadi, commander of the 35th Armored Brigade in Taiz governorate. He died on the afternoon of Monday, December 2, 2019 in front of his house in the Bani Hammad area of Al-Mawasit district in southern Taiz.

Security sources from the Taiz Military Axis told Almasdar Online that there are two main versions of the events leading to his death. The first of suggests Al-Hammadi was shot dead by his brother Jalal, while the second suggests that it was an assassination meant to kill both brothers, orchestrated by unknown gunmen in front of his home. 

The sources said that 35th Armored Brigade forces have arrested all of the bodyguards of both of the Al-Hammadi brothers in a secured hospital in Al-Mawasit district.

An internal committee has been formed within the 35th armored brigade to investigate Al-Hammadi’s death, the sources said, adding that the prime suspects are Jalal and Al-Hammadi’s six bodyguards.  

In the meantime, rumors and speculation have spread, particularly on social media, in the absence of further information from Yemeni authorities about Al-Hammadi’s death.  

Al-Hammadi was no ordinary commander created by the coincidence of war, but a seasoned military man and graduate of military colleges in Yemen. In 1987, he graduated from Thulaya Institute in Aden with a bachelor’s degree in military science. Two decades later, he earned a master's degree in military science from the Supreme Military Academy in Sana'a. His military ranks include company commander and most recently Brigadier General of the 35th Armored Brigade in western Taiz.

Al-Hammadi’s notoriety began in 2015 when he, along with a number of his fellow officers, rejected the Houthi takeover of Sana’a and pledged allegiance to the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. Shortly after, he was appointed as Brigadier General of the 35th armored brigade. 

The decision to appoint Al-Hammadi took effect when the Houthis surrounded the 35th Armored Brigade’s headquarters at the Old Taiz airport. Despite being surrounded, he refused to surrender the premises, fighting the Houthis with just 200 soldiers. Among them was Brigadier General Mohammed Al-Aouni, a close colleague of Al-Hammadi’s, who was killed in the early months of the war.

Within a few days of successfully combating the Houthi siege, Al-Hammadi was able to secure the center of Taiz and Jabal Jarra, handing over the front command to Brigadier General Sadiq Sarhan, commander of the 22nd brigade, and Sheikh Hammoud Saeed Al-Mekhlafi, who led the popular resistance in Taiz. This allowed for the opening of the Al-Dhabab-Jabal Habashi front in support of Brigadier General Yusef al-Sharaji.

Al-Hammadi then moved to the countryside near Al-Hujaryah district in Taiz to begin recomposing the 35th armored brigade from scratch. He was subsequently able to secure the districts of Al-Shamayteen, A-Mawasit and Al-Ma’afer by supporting Al-Mekhlafi’s popular resistance, many of whose members later joined the 35th Brigade.

Under Al-Hammadi’s command, the 35th armored brigade played a major role in the opening of roads linking southern Taiz governorate with the interim capital Aden. Al-Hammadi’s troops also contributed greatly to the gradual breaking of the Houthi siege of Taiz. 

After the popular resistance merged with the national army, Al-Hammadi’s fighters were able to liberate areas of southeastern Taiz, including Al-Misrakh and Al-Salu districts, as well as parts of Hayfan districts. These gains were essential in securing the only artery into Taiz City through the countryside of Lahj governorate, along the southeastern border of Taiz.  

Al-Hammadi’s forces were known for their military discipline, with few recorded criminal incidents by the 35th Armored Brigade (such as assassinations, looting of property, etc.)  having taken place. Al-Hammadi was regarded by many as an exemplary figure within the Yemeni army and a shining example of the Yemeni military establishment. 

For these and other reasons, Al-Hammadi earned the respect and appreciation of the people of Taiz. His death under mysterious circumstances was a major shock to the people of Taiz.

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Brigadier General Adnan Mohammed Al Hammadi

Born in 1968 in Yafeq Bani Hammad village in the Al-Mawasit district of Taiz governorate

Husband and father of two sons and three daughters

Joined the Military College in 1984 and graduated in 1987 with the rank of second lieutenant

Holds a Bachelor's in Military Science, a number of specialized certificates from Thulaya Institute in Aden

Earned a Master's in Military Science from the Supreme Military Academy in Sana'a in 2007

Military ranks include:

Commander of infantry and tank companies until 1999

Head of Tank Battalion Operation until 2005

Deputy general of training from 2007 to 2009

Director of training center at Hamza camp in Ibb until 2011

Director of the Office of the Commander of the 35th Armored Brigade until 2012

Commander of The Martyr's Labuza Camp in Lahj until March 2015

Commander of the 35th Armoured Brigade in Taiz from April 2015 until December 2019