2014 Yemen Civil War

9M113 Konkurs in the 2014 Yemen Civil War

Houthi-aligned forces used Konkurs/AT-5 anti-tank guided missiles against Saudi armor along the Saudi-Yemen border, with CSIS citing UN video evidence and separate reporting describing missile teams using Konkurs, Kornet-E, and Toophan systems in cross-border fighting.

Weapon profile9M113 Konkurs
SideHouthi-aligned forcesRoleAnti-ArmorFire SupportInsurgent / Guerrilla Use
9M113 Konkurs, SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank guided missile, Infantry Weapons - 2014 Yemen Civil War
Image source: 9M113M ATM Konkurs-M Army-2022 2022-08-20 2513.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Houthi-aligned fighters used a Konkurs ATGM against a Saudi tank along the Saudi-Yemen border.

Sources: CSIS Missile War in Yemen

Houthi and Saleh-loyalist border missile teams were reported with 9M113 Konkurs, 9M133 Kornet-E, and Toophan missiles.

Sources: Washington Institute Ground War

A September 2015 interdiction included Konkurs missiles and related ATGM equipment, but the reporting treated the route and final destination as contested.

Sources: ARES Saudi-led Coalition Seizure

Timeline

9M113 Konkurs In 2014 Yemen Civil War

  1. ATGM attacks against Saudi tanks appear in Houthi video material

    CSIS reported that propaganda videos from August 2015 onward showed Houthi fighters using anti-tank guided missiles against Saudi tanks.

    Sources: CSIS Missile War in Yemen

  2. Konkurs missiles reported in an interdicted maritime shipment

    ARES reported that a dhow interdicted off Oman carried Konkurs and TOW-family anti-tank guided missiles, while noting open questions about the shipment's route and final destination.

    Sources: ARES Saudi-led Coalition Seizure

  3. Border missile teams described with Konkurs among their weapons

    The Washington Institute reported that Houthi and Saleh-loyalist missile teams on the Saudi-Yemen border were equipped with 9M113 Konkurs, 9M133 Kornet-E, and Toophan missiles.

    Sources: Washington Institute Ground War

  4. UN-linked video evidence cited for a Konkurs strike

    CSIS cited the 2016 UN Panel of Experts report for video evidence of Houthi fighters using a Konkurs ATGM against a Saudi tank along the Saudi border.

    Sources: CSIS Missile War in Yemen

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

CSIS documented the 9M113 Konkurs in Houthi-aligned service during the Yemen war, citing multiple videos that purportedly showed Houthi militants using AT-5 anti-tank guided missiles against Saudi armor in northern Yemen and southern Saudi Arabia. Its report also cited a 2016 United Nations Panel of Experts finding of video evidence showing Houthi fighters using a Konkurs ATGM against a Saudi tank along the Saudi border.

The same CSIS section identified the system as the Soviet AT-5 Spandrel family and noted Iran's Tosan as a domestic Konkurs variant. That distinction matters for Yemen: public evidence includes both battlefield use claims involving AT-5/Konkurs systems and separate seizure or transfer evidence involving Konkurs missiles and Tosan rockets.

Sources: CSIS Missile War in Yemen

Timeline

By August 2015, CSIS reported that Houthi propaganda videos were already showing anti-tank guided missile attacks against Saudi tanks. On September 26, 2015, ARES reported a maritime interdiction off Oman whose cargo included 9M113 Konkurs missiles and related equipment, while noting uncertainty over whether Yemen was the direct destination or part of a wider smuggling route. In February 2016, the Washington Institute described Houthi and Saleh-loyalist missile teams equipped with 9M113 Konkurs, 9M133 Kornet-E, and Toophan missiles as active on the Saudi-Yemen border.

Sources: CSIS Missile War in Yemen, ARES Saudi-led Coalition Seizure, Washington Institute Ground War

Battlefield role

In the 2014 Yemen Civil War, the Konkurs appears in public reporting as a Houthi-aligned anti-armor weapon rather than merely an inventory item. The supported use cases are border fighting and strikes on Saudi armor, especially in the northern Yemen and southern Saudi Arabia theater where Houthi and allied forces used anti-tank guided missile teams during raids and defensive actions.

The Washington Institute described the broader tactical effect of these missile teams: Konkurs, Kornet-E, and Toophan-equipped units helped knock out Saudi tanks, vehicles, border posts, and watchtowers, enabling small Houthi and pro-Saleh infantry groups to raid across the border. CSIS places Konkurs within the same anti-tank missile ecosystem and provides the more specific evidence link to a Konkurs ATGM used against a Saudi tank.

Sources: CSIS Missile War in Yemen, Washington Institute Ground War

Related Weapons by Role

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9K115 Metis, Man-portable anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry WeaponsInfantry Weapons9K115 MetisMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K115 Metis is a Soviet/Russian man-portable, wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family developed for company-level infantry anti-armor fire. The original AT-7 Saxhorn used a lightweight launcher and 94 mm missile for short-range engagements, while the Metis-M and Metis-M1 upgrades moved to larger 130 mm missiles with tandem HEAT and thermobaric options. Its documented conflict use spans Russian and Ukrainian Metis-M fielding in Ukraine, Houthi use in Yemen, Syrian rebel use, and Hezbollah's anti-tank missile threat in the 2006 Lebanon War.
9M133 Kornet, Laser beam-riding anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry WeaponsInfantry Weapons9M133 KornetLaser beam-riding anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9M133 Kornet is a Russian heavy anti-tank guided missile system using laser beam-riding guidance and tandem HEAT or thermobaric warheads. Developed by KBP as a portable, vehicle-integrated, and self-propelled ATGM family, it appears in recent conflicts as a Russian-origin anti-armor weapon documented with state forces and non-state armed groups, including captured launchers and destroyed 9P163M-1 Kornet-T vehicles in Ukraine.
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Sources