Mohammad al-Qadasi was killed January 22, 2018, by a missile allegedly fired by the Ansar Allah movement, commonly known as the Houthis, while on assignment for Belqees TV in Yemen’s Taiz Governorate, the channel’s director general Ahmed al-Zurqa told CPJ.
According to the director, Al-Qadasi was photographing a special forces graduation ceremony at approximately 11 a.m. near the village of Khayami when he went to investigate a nearby missile strike Al-Zurqa said was also fired by the Houthis.
Al-Qadasi’s colleague, Fawaz al-Hamadi, reported on Belqees TV that he and al-Qadasi heard the blast from the first missile strikes and went to investigate the scene. While en route on their motorcycles, a missile landed next to al-Qadasi and shrapnel from the explosion hit him in the head and chest, according to al-Hamadi. Al-Hamadi said he rushed al-Qadasi to the nearby Khalifa Hospital where the photographer died.
Belqees TV later reported that the Houthis fired five missiles at the special forces graduation and the nearby village.
The Houthi-affiliated news website al-Maseerah released a video the day of the missile attack in which Houthi groups claimed responsibility.