Abdullah Mahdi al-Bahri
Abdullah Mahdi al-Bahri was killed when a strike hit the offices of the 26 September newspaper where he worked. Reports described it as a drone strike carried out by Israel.
On the morning of 11 September 2025, al-Bahri was at work at the headquarters of the 26 September newspaper in central Sanaa. During the day, the building was targeted and destroyed by an airstrike. Local media described it as an Israeli drone strike, part of a wave of attacks on media and government-linked sites in Houthi-controlled Yemen. The explosion caused massive destruction, killing al-Bahri and several of his colleagues instantly.
His family later said he had left home that morning as usual, telling his family not to worry. He was described as someone who believed it was his duty to report the truth regardless of personal danger. The attack drew condemnation from Yemeni officials, who described it as a “cowardly and treacherous act.”
Biography
Abdullah Mahdi al-Bahri was a veteran Yemeni journalist working for the state-news agency Saba News Agency (in Yemen). He had oversight responsibilities of radio and television monitoring. He was killed on 11 September 2025 in Sanaa (or Houthi-held parts of Yemen) when the offices of a newspaper he was connected with — the 26 September Newspaper in central Sanaa — were hit in what Yemen’s Houthi-controlled media described as an “Israeli drone strike.” His death was publicly mourned by Saba News Agency, which labelled the attack a “treacherous and cowardly - Zionist attack.” His family has expressed deep grief, and his son said his father left for work that morning and never came home.
Abdullah Mahdi al-Bahri spent years working in Sanaa for Saba News Agency, one of Yemen’s key news organizations. After the Houthis gained control over large parts of northern Yemen, Saba News came under their administration, and al-Bahri continued his work there. He served as a senior staff member responsible for monitoring radio and television broadcasts and supervising information flow.
He was known among colleagues as a calm, disciplined journalist who took pride in his work even during wartime conditions. He often covered regional conflicts and Israeli military operations, including events in Gaza, and was said to be deeply committed to his duty despite the dangers of reporting in a war zone. His family mentioned that he often spoke about the risks of working in media amid the escalating tensions between Israel and Houthi forces but insisted on continuing his professional duties.
Although detailed personal information such as his age and date of birth are not publicly available, reports indicate that he was a father and left behind a son named Bara’a al-Bahri. His son described him as a loving father who always took him everywhere and cared for his family.
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
From the available reporting: his son, Bara’a al-Bahri, is quoted:
“I used to go with my dad to the news agency, to the market, everywhere. He bought me everything.”
His father, Mahdi al-Bahri (another relative) told the press:
“We lived in constant fear for him – his wife, his children, all of us. But he never shied away from his duty. He believed that doing his job well was paramount, saying even if it costs him his life, he would have no regrets.
Additional Information
Sources & References
The Yemeni News Agency, Saba, mourned the martyrdom of journalist Abdullah Mahdi Al-Bahri, who was killed in the treacherous and cowardly Zionist attack on the headquarters of the 26 Septembernewspaper.1 saba.ye Open source
Abdullah Mahdi Abdullah al-Bahri, a Yemeni journalist who worked the Yemen News Agency (SABA), was killed during Israel’s targeted airstrikes on the offices of the 26 September and Yemen newspapers in the capital, Sanaa. The September 10 attacks killed 31 journalists and media support workers.2 cpj.org Open source