2014 Yemen Civil War

120-PM-38 in the 2014 Yemen Civil War

The 120-PM-38 appears in the Yemen record as a legacy M-1938 heavy mortar from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks, with direct Yemen conflict evidence showing Houthi-Saleh access to diverted army weapons and repeated 120 mm mortar fire, but no public source here identifies a specific PM-38 tube in a firing incident.

Weapon profile120-PM-38
SideHouthi-aligned forcesYemeni government and Saudi-led coalition forcesRoleFire Support
120-PM-38, 120 mm towed heavy mortar, Artillery - 2014 Yemen Civil War
Image source: File:120 mm PM38 02.JPG

Evidence Map

ClaimEvidence typeSources
The 120mm M-1938 heavy mortar was part of the pre-war Yemeni Army equipment base available after the 2014-2015 takeover period.Open-source inventory handbook

Sources: Oryx Pre-War Yemeni Fighting Vehicles

Yemeni Army weapons and military support were diverted to Houthi-Saleh forces.UN Panel of Experts reporting

Sources: UN Panel of Experts Yemen 2016

Pro-Houthi forces fired mortar shells in Aden, with impact-site and remnant evidence consistent with 120 mm mortars.Human Rights Watch field investigation and remnant analysis

Sources: HRW Houthi Artillery in Aden

Houthi-Saleh forces used 120 mm mortar fire in Taizz in May 2017.Human Rights Watch witness interviews and video/impact analysis

Sources: HRW Artillery Attacks in Taizz

The public sources do not identify a specific PM-38/M-1938 tube in a named firing incident.Model-identification boundary from the cited sources

Sources: Oryx Pre-War Yemeni Fighting Vehicles, HRW Houthi Artillery in Aden, HRW Artillery Attacks in Taizz

Timeline

120-PM-38 In 2014 Yemen Civil War

  1. Houthi takeover period makes army stocks conflict-relevant

    Oryx described its Yemeni Army inventory as equipment in service before the 2014-2015 Houthi takeover and listed the 120mm M-1938 heavy mortar among that inventory.

    Sources: Oryx Pre-War Yemeni Fighting Vehicles

  2. UN panel reports diversion of army weapons

    The UN Panel of Experts reported a pattern of diversion of Yemeni Army weapons and military support to Houthi-Saleh forces.

    Sources: UN Panel of Experts Yemen 2016

  3. HRW documents 120 mm mortar evidence in Aden

    Human Rights Watch investigated mortar fire into Dar Saad, Aden, and reported remnant and impact evidence consistent with 120 mm mortars fired from Houthi-held positions.

    Sources: HRW Houthi Artillery in Aden

  4. HRW identifies 120 mm mortar projectile evidence in Taizz

    Human Rights Watch reported that video evidence from a Taizz attack indicated a 120 mm mortar projectile fired from the east, matching known Houthi-Saleh positions.

    Sources: HRW Artillery Attacks in Taizz

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The public record supports the 120-PM-38 in the 2014 Yemen Civil War as a legacy 120 mm mortar fielded from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks rather than as a newly supplied weapon. Oryx's pre-war Yemeni Army handbook lists the 120mm M-1938 heavy mortar and states that its inventory catalogue covers equipment in Yemeni Army service before the 2014-2015 Houthi takeover and clarifies what military equipment was available to Yemeni parties on the battlefield.

The strongest firing evidence is caliber-level rather than model-level. Human Rights Watch documented mortar attacks by pro-Houthi or Houthi-Saleh forces in Aden and Taizz and identified 120 mm mortar use from remnants, impact evidence, or video analysis. Those reports support 120 mm heavy mortar fire in the conflict, while the Oryx inventory entry supports M-1938/PM-38 availability in the same theater.

Sources: Oryx Pre-War Yemeni Fighting Vehicles, HRW Houthi Artillery in Aden, HRW Artillery Attacks in Taizz

Dated milestones

The relevant chain begins with the 2014-2015 Houthi takeover period. Oryx framed the M-1938 heavy mortar as part of the pre-war Yemeni Army equipment base that became relevant to the battlefield after the takeover, while the UN Panel of Experts reported a pattern of Yemeni Army weapons and military-support diversion to Houthi-Saleh forces.

On July 19, 2015, Human Rights Watch investigated mortar fire into Dar Saad in Aden and reported impact-site and remnant evidence consistent with 120 mm mortars fired from positions held by Houthi forces. In May 2017, Human Rights Watch documented Houthi-Saleh shelling in Taizz and analyzed a May 23 video as showing a 120 mm mortar projectile fired from the east, where Houthi-Saleh forces were positioned.

Sources: Oryx Pre-War Yemeni Fighting Vehicles, UN Panel of Experts Yemen 2016, HRW Houthi Artillery in Aden, HRW Artillery Attacks in Taizz

Use pattern

The documented role is legacy heavy mortar fire support by Yemeni parties, especially Houthi-aligned or Houthi-Saleh forces in the cited firing incidents. The parent catalog row keeps both Houthi-aligned forces and Yemeni government and Saudi-led coalition forces because the weapon source identifies the pre-war Yemeni Army inventory rather than a single faction-specific captured tube.

The evidence should be read with a model-identification boundary. Oryx directly names the 120mm M-1938 heavy mortar in the pre-war Yemeni Army inventory; HRW and UN records directly document 120 mm mortar fire and Houthi-Saleh access to Yemeni Army weapons, but they do not state that the fired 120 mm mortar in a named incident was specifically a PM-38/M-1938 rather than another 120 mm mortar type.

Sources: Oryx Pre-War Yemeni Fighting Vehicles, UN Panel of Experts Yemen 2016, HRW Houthi Artillery in Aden, HRW Artillery Attacks in Taizz

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Sources