Direct proof of use
The RPG-32 is directly documented in the 2014 Yemen Civil War through ARES analysis of an Ansar al-Sharia video released on March 27, 2016. ARES identified the force as Ansar al-Sharia, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's Yemen brand, and said the footage showed its fighters clashing with Houthi forces in Taiz.
ARES reported that the fighting shown was believed to have taken place on March 21, 2016, north of Taiz near the Sofitel Hotel and Yemen International Hospital area. The same analysis identified extensive use of shoulder-fired rocket launchers and specifically noted a Jordanian-made RPG-32 system launching an ATG-32 rocket.
Sources: ARES RPG-32 in Yemen
Timeline
The public, source-backed incident record is concentrated in March 2016. ARES dated the video release to March 27, 2016, and assessed that the battle footage probably showed fighting from March 21 around Taiz.
The source supports a confirmed RPG-32 firing by Ansar al-Sharia/AQAP fighters in that battle context. It does not establish when the group first obtained the launcher, how many RPG-32 launchers were present in Yemen, or whether the same system appeared in later engagements.
Sources: ARES RPG-32 in Yemen
Narrative
In Yemen, the documented RPG-32 case was an irregular-force anti-armor and assault-support use, not a regular military inventory listing. The ARES incident placed the launcher among Ansar al-Sharia fighters using shoulder-fired rocket launchers during fighting against fortified Houthi and Saleh-loyalist positions around Taiz.
ARES identified the launcher as the Jordanian-made Nashshab version of the RPG-32 and noted that the system was fitted with a GS-2R day sight. The same report described the fired ATG-32 as the tandem high-explosive anti-tank round for the RPG-32 family; Rosoboronexport separately describes the RPG-32 as a reusable 105 mm launcher able to fire anti-tank and thermobaric ammunition from sealed launch tubes.
The transfer path remains uncertain in the public record. ARES noted that Jordan and the United Arab Emirates were the only known regional users at the time, both were members of the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi forces, and coalition-backed Yemeni forces were receiving new arms and munitions. It presented capture, supply to Yemeni partner forces, and militant access through partner-force channels as possible avenues rather than confirmed explanations.
Sources: ARES RPG-32 in Yemen, RPG-32 Product Page
