Ansar Allah website - Report -9 Rabi' al-Thani 1448 AH
 

Amid war, the mettle of men is revealed. On the battlefields fought by the Yemeni army, from time to time, immortal acts of heroism emerge—unmatched in loyalty, sincerity, devotion, courage, boldness, genuine belonging, and steadfastness upon the truth under the harshest circumstances. Many scenes have been documented by camera lenses, but the latest scene involving prisoner “Fatah Al-Hamli” encapsulates all the meanings of pride, dignity, and defiance.

During the operation to cleanse the western coast, the Saudi aggression’s tools published a video of one of the Yemeni army’s prisoners, believing it would be a media victory for them, but it quickly rebounded upon them many times over. While the mercenary attempted to humiliate the prisoner Al-Hamli and film him, Al-Hamli’s words were an earthquake that shook the camp of aggression—words spoken only by one whose heart is filled with faith in Allah and trust in Him, and filled with a determination and spirit that only sincere faith can forge.

The prisoner Al-Hamli told his captors, who attempted to frighten him, that he had been firing at them, and when his ammunition ran out, he threw stones at them. Al-Hamli confirmed this, saying: “I am a prisoner, and had my ammunition not run out, you would not have been able to capture me. Yes, I fought you and I will fight you. I am clear about what I am doing, and despite being a prisoner, I will not waver and my resolve will not diminish. Yes, I fought you until my ammunition ran out.”

The video turned into a global icon and spread around the world, allowing people to see the extent of the Yemeni people’s determination and spirit.

He spent only five days in captivity before the Yemeni army advanced toward all the enemy’s positions, completely drove its mobilizations from them, and recovered all the prisoners, after the enemy fled like cowards, leaving behind equipment, arms, ammunition, armored vehicles, and everything else, fleeing before the might of the Yemeni army, because its position was one of betrayal and it would not be able to withstand or confront the heroes of the Yemeni army fighting in defense of the people against the arrogant enemy.

To shed light on the circumstances of his capture and his heroic position, we conducted an interview with freed prisoner Fatah Al-Hamli, who revealed details of the final hours preceding his capture, when he and his comrades fought an engagement on one of the hills amid repeated advances by armored vehicles and military equipment, before one of his comrades was martyred and he was forced to surrender after exhausting his ammunition.

The freed prisoner recounts what he endured inside the Saudi enemy’s intelligence compound in Hays, Hudaydah, including harsh treatment, interrogations, and attempts to extract positions from him, in contrast to his adherence to his Yemeni position rejecting the presence of the occupier.

At the moment of his liberation, Al-Hamli recalls his trust in Allah and his supplication to Him, until he heard the cries of the mujahideen and the beginning of the liberation of Hays, before directing messages to the leadership, the mujahideen, and the Yemeni people, particularly calling upon those he urges to benefit from the general amnesty decision.

Here is the full interview:

To begin, how would you describe the final moments before you were taken prisoner, and what did that confrontation reveal about the nature of the mobilizations belonging to the Saudi enemy that you faced?

We were three mujahideen on a hill, and there were repeated advances by the mobilizations belonging to the Saudi enemy, with armored vehicles and military equipment. Our ammunition was limited. We would wait until they came within the required range and then engage them. Allah would guide the fire, and they would withdraw more than once.

The last time, our ammunition had almost run out. Our third comrade continued confronting them with what remained, and beside him was a 12.7 machine gun. He repaired its malfunction and fired what remained of its ammunition at a group of traitors who had maneuvered around the position. After that, our comrade was martyred when he was targeted by a suicide drone belonging to the Saudi enemy’s forces. They then climbed onto the hill, and we had no ammunition left, so we decided to surrender ourselves.

We were facing a large mobilization, but we were confident in Allah and in the fact that we were fighting from a position that we regarded as just.

When you surrendered yourselves, how did the Saudi aggression’s tools treat you, and what did you find behind the slogans raised by those tools?

When our ammunition ran out, we told them that we would surrender ourselves, but they responded with insults and hurtful words. They described us as atheists, disbelievers, and Iranian stooges. I told them: “I am Yemeni. Do I look Iranian to you? I surrendered myself to you willingly when my ammunition ran out. Had that not happened, you would not have been able to capture me.”

After they bound our hands, their commander asked me about our control of the hill. I responded by telling him what had happened, and they assaulted us. At that point, I realized that I was dealing with people who did not treat us according to the values and morals of Yemenis.

We saw ourselves as mujahideen in the path of Allah, and we believed that our cause was just and that our grievance was clear. Therefore, those insults and assaults were incapable of changing our position.

In your view, why were the tools of aggression keen to film the moment of your capture and publish it? And did they succeed in turning the prisoner into an image of defeat?

They transferred us to the intelligence compound in Hays, where we remained for five days. From the first day, the treatment was bad. They said about me: “This one is ideological; treat him specially.” Then they shackled me inside the cell. When I asked them why, they said: “We need to discipline you.”

During the interrogation, they asked me: Why did you come here? Why did you come armed? I told them clearly: I am Yemeni, and I travel throughout all the Yemeni governorates. I came to expel the occupier.

I told them that we did not want to point our rifles at Yemenis, but that they were the ones who had placed themselves in the position of helping the occupier occupy their country. They attempted to provoke, distort, insult, and cast doubt, but—by the grace of Allah—we silenced them whenever they presented us with a question or provocation.

After everything you endured, what is your message to the Yemenis who remain in the ranks of the tools and mobilizations of aggression?

My message to the people of Yemen in the occupied governorates, and to those who remain deceived to this day, is this: By Allah, you are standing on the wrong side, and you know a great deal, but some of you have been struck by blindness—either the blindness of money or the blindness of greed.

I ask you: What will you answer Allah Almighty on the day you stand before Him? And how will you face the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his Household, if you continue in these positions?

I advise you to take advantage of the general amnesty decision issued by the political leadership, and return to your homes and your regions as Yemeni brothers. You have what we have, and upon you is what is upon us.

Do not become mounts for the occupiers who kill children and women, destroy homes, and demolish the facilities of this beloved homeland. Be as Allah intended you to be, and take advantage of the opportunity of the amnesty before you regret it.

After leaving detention, what do you say about the battle you are fighting, and about the leadership, the mujahideen, and the future of the confrontation with the aggression and its tools?

The moment I left the detention center was a joy beyond description. Throughout my captivity, I remained confident in Allah and supplicated to Him. In the final moment before my release, I opened the Book of Allah and found the words of Allah Almighty:

“And Allah repelled those who disbelieved in their rage; they gained no advantage. And Allah spared the believers from fighting.”

I also found His saying:

“And He brought down those who supported them among the People of the Scripture from their fortresses… some you killed and some you took captive.”

I took this as glad tidings that Allah would bring us relief.

When I heard the cries of the mujahideen and the liberation of Hays began, it was an indescribable moment, and I praised Allah for it.

My message to our leadership is that our souls are a sacrifice for this path. Our message to the free mujahideen is that what we witnessed of their steadfastness and strikes was a source of gladness for us while we were in captivity.